Foot Soldier Standing by a Tree (A Lansquenet)

Hans Sebald Beham

This scarce impression, trimmed to just inside the platemark, is an early impression of Beham's only etching, according to his first cataloger Gustav Pauli, etched on an iron plate. The earliest impressions show the rust marks, such as this impression. The marks were later burnished out.

The subject is a foot soldier, a "Lansquenet" leaning against a tree. They were a mercenary order that were established by Maximillian I in 1487. As they looted they stole many womens garments that were made of flowers and lace. The Lansquenes added these to their uniforms and affected fashion of the time.

According to Giorgio Marangoni, Historical and stylistic evolution of fashion, from ancient Mediterranean civilizations to the Renaissance, Milan 1977, p. 267 "they added strips of fabric to the pelvic area creating thick "braghettas" applied to bragues (a kind of codpiece) to defend the pelvic area during the fights, in peacetime it is accompanied by colorful ribbons and bells. A tribute to their manhood."

They began to "sport the first....knitted socks, fasteners fastened to the braces with garters knotted at the knees. At the feet, shoes with anthrane beak, so flat and from the upper so reduced, as to be considered socks. A belt and a large feathered hat complete the soldier's shape."