Foot Combat with Spears c. 1512 - 1515

This watercolor and ink drawing shows two men engaged in foot combat with spears. The image is deceptively simple, but it's full of information about the social rituals of combat in its time and place, likely Europe, sometime in the late medieval or early Renaissance period. The figures are armored, but the armor isn't uniform. Note the details: one man has a decorative skirt and elaborate plumage, which could be a sign of higher social status, but also a hindrance in battle. What does the picture suggest about the function of combat, whether as warfare or sport? Does it settle disputes, reinforce social hierarchies, or allow men to display honor and courage? To understand the image better, we would want to consult manuals of combat, look at depictions of tournaments in illuminated manuscripts, and study the social role of martial display in different European societies. What we see in this image can only be understood through that wider social and institutional context.