Emperor Maximilian I
c. 1590-1620
Medium
Engraving in black on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Image/sheet, trimmed within platemark: 25.6 × 19.3 cm (10 1/8 × 7 5/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
99021
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
When Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I formed the first Landsknecht company in 1487, he intentionally exempted the soldiers from harsh laws regulating consumption on clothing and food. Because their lives tended to be “brutish and short,” the emperor urged them to wear distinctively outlandish garb. Not only did slashed sleeves and bold colors unify the troops, but the attire made the Landsknechte an ostentatious and recognizable force fighting in the emperor’s name.
About the Artist
Jan Harmensz. Muller · 1571–1628
Comment on works: Printer and Draughtsman