Landsknecht 1506

Curator: Today we're looking at Albrecht Dürer's sketch, "Landsknecht," dating back to 1506, now residing in the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum. Editor: The sheer exuberance of those feathery plumes! They just burst forth, don't they? As if gravity's been momentarily suspended. Curator: Exactly! And consider Dürer’s rendering – a flurry of lines creating texture. The Landsknecht were essentially mercenary soldiers, and fashion-obsessed. Note the slashed sleeves and codpiece, indicators of wealth even then. Editor: It is interesting that the figure is an "idea generation sketch", indicating perhaps that Dürer wasn't as concerned with the status of the soldier but in the clothing manufacture of the day: the way the material drapes and gathers. He was very interested in artisanal manufacture, something this evokes. Curator: Yes, that resonates. Though the term "sketch" makes it sound so casual; it reveals more, I think. It feels as though he's trying to get the measure of the man— underneath that glorious costume! Editor: All those details of dress speak of availability and wealth – and Durer must have been fascinated by how it all got made. Where did the feathers come from? What dyes were used? Whose labor made the gloves? Curator: Such detail for an early 16th century work! Those minute folds, and the play of light. Dürer allows the blank paper to speak almost as much as his ink. It breathes…it lives. Editor: See how he emphasizes line, eschewing shading – perhaps reflecting a more transactional approach to portraiture. Think quick execution, quick payment. A portrait of supply and demand as much as one of a person. Curator: Perhaps you are right! Though something about that direct gaze – the implied swagger… He clearly was in his element painting, and studying humans of all kinds. Editor: Thinking about it through those economic and practical considerations shifts the whole perception, doesn't it? Suddenly we are thinking about who provided materials and services. Curator: Absolutely, you are quite right! It has given me a fresh perspective, considering not only Dürer's genius, but also the wider network of craftsmanship required to create this persona, even just on paper.