Joust Preliminary 

Michael C. Hayes, a 20th-century artist, created “Joust Preliminary,” a sketch of two knights charging at each other on horseback. Medieval jousting was a spectacle of power and skill, deeply embedded in a patriarchal, feudal system. Though Hayes was a 20th-century artist, in this piece he invites us to consider how historical power structures are memorialized and romanticized. What does it mean to look back at an explicitly hierarchical system? Hayes doesn't explicitly critique or defend it, but emphasizes the sheer force and danger inherent in the sport. How do we understand our relationship to a gendered past where violence and spectacle were paramount? This work serves as a starting point for considering the emotional and psychological aspects of historical narratives and their continued relevance.