Mock Joust of War with Fixed Shields c. 1512 - 1515

Curator: What a tumble! This lively scene is a drawing called "Mock Joust of War with Fixed Shields," created around 1512 to 1515. We don't know who made it, but they used watercolor and coloured pencil to capture this chaotic moment. Editor: It looks like something out of a comedic play! The colours are so soft, almost pastel, which contrasts wildly with the subject matter—men in full armor being unceremoniously thrown from their horses. Curator: Exactly! The fixed shields imply a level of foolish commitment, like a game where the stakes are higher than the participants realize. The fallibility of man is always a rich subject. Think of Icarus. Editor: Symbolically, what resonates is how martial prowess and pride are deflated, quite literally. Notice how the fallen figures' limbs are splayed awkwardly. The horses, meanwhile, seem only mildly inconvenienced. Curator: I love that you picked up on that. The artist brilliantly used the horses as these stable, almost indifferent, presences against the chaotic flailing of the armored figures. The details, from the helmets to the saddles, suggest a reverence for these martial trappings. Yet the entire scene has a delightfully satirical tone. Editor: It’s a curious balance, isn’t it? On one hand, the accoutrements of war are rendered meticulously, with attention to detail suggesting the artist understood their cultural significance. But by depicting the "joust" as this comical fiasco, are they subverting that reverence, poking fun at the pomposity of conflict? The colors suggest more of a lighthearted feeling. Curator: Maybe it’s not about subversion, but about recognizing the absurdity inherent in human endeavors. We build up these elaborate structures, literal and metaphorical armor, and then, well, we fall off our horses. There's something deeply human, and yes, darkly funny, about that. It has that quality of an outtake of an elaborate performance! Editor: An unexpectedly humble sentiment hidden beneath the armor. Makes you wonder if the anonymous artist was in the court, observing such events? Well, it’s been wonderful to playfully unravel the mock joust! Curator: Absolutely. The scene has given me an insight into the time, now it seems that I want to read all about this period of jousting.