A Landsknecht
n.d.
Unknown Artist Possibly Swiss, 17th century
Switzerland
This mercenary has been depicted in the midst of battle, actively posed and ready to dispatch an enemy with his two-handed sword. The broad brushstrokes and bold shading add to the figure’s rough demeanor. The lower fragments completing the helmet and the piece of armor on the ground were reattached after being found pasted onto tears on the verso.
Brush and black ink, with brown wash, over black chalk, on cream laid paper