Foot Combat with Halberds c. 1512 - 1515

This sheet depicts a foot combat with halberds, made by an anonymous artist, with unknown date. This image brings to mind performative masculinity and the ritualized aspects of combat. Two figures face each other, clad in armor and wielding halberds. Combat, especially in historical contexts, becomes a stage upon which ideals of masculinity are both performed and tested. The armor itself acts as a visual signifier of power, status, and perhaps even invulnerability. Yet, there's also a vulnerability inherent in these displays, where identity is tied to physical prowess and the ability to dominate. What alternative narratives might emerge if we consider the perspectives of those historically excluded from such displays of power? How might the understanding of strength and honor shift if viewed through a lens that values collaboration, empathy, and the courage to challenge traditional norms? I invite you to consider how we perform our identities in the arenas of our own lives, and what it means to seek strength not just in dominance, but in solidarity and understanding.