Breastplate in the Maximilian Style
Unknown Artist
c.1510–30
Medium
steel, brass rivets
Dimensions
48.3 × 40.3 × 16 cm
Classification
Arms and Armor
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
Accession Number
1916.1640.a
About this artwork
Distinguished by its regularly fluted surfaces, armor in this style was popularized in South Germany during the early 1500s. The style is usually called "Maximilian," as it was introduced during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I (1493-1519). The style reflects male costume of the period and the shift to the new rounded forms of the Renaissance. Other examples of this armor style may be seen nearby.