Turnierender Ritter mit einem Narren c. 1527 - 1534

Erhard Schön made this drawing of a jousting knight and a fool in 1527. It captures a moment of social commentary within the traditions of courtly life in 16th century Europe. The image creates meaning through the contrast between the knight and the fool, a stark difference in status that is highlighted by the jousting match. This was a time of social upheaval, when the old feudal order was being challenged by new economic and political forces. Schön was working in Nuremberg, a city in the midst of the Reformation. The fool's presence may be interpreted as a commentary on the perceived foolishness or absurdity of the knightly class. We can understand art better through historical research into the social, political and institutional contexts in which it was made. Art is contingent on those social structures.