Officier te paard met twee soldaten

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 240

Art Historical Context

**Officier te paard met twee soldaten (Officer on Horseback with Two)** *Jostman, 1573 This intimate woodcut engraving on paper, measuring just 142 × 135 mm, captures a dynamic military scene from the era. Created by Jost Amman, a Swiss-German artist and engraver based in Nuremberg, it depicts an officer astride a horse flanked by two foot soldiers. Amman's work often graced illustrated books on professions, costumes, and daily life, reflecting the vibrant print culture of 16th-century Europe. In 1573, amid the religious wars and expanding Habsburg influence, such images highlighted the period's military pageantry and social hierarchy, with meticulous details in armor, banners, and equestrian pose evoking the chivalric ideals of the time. Amman's mastery of the woodcut technique shines here, allowing for fine lines and textures on affordable paper—a revolutionary medium that democratized art beyond elite patrons. The collector's mark (Lugt 240), associated with 19th-century connoisseur Eugène Dutuit, underscores its enduring appeal to scholars. This piece offers a window into Renaissance visual storytelling, blending historical realism with artistic precision, inviting visitors to ponder the lives of soldiers in a turbulent age.

About the Artist

Jost Amman · 1539–1591

Jost Amman (1539–1591) was a Swiss-born woodcut designer, engraver, and illustrator who became one of the most prolific and influential graphic artists of sixteenth-century Germany, producing an output of extraordinary range and technical virtuosity that shaped the visual culture of the later Reformation era. Born in Zurich, Amman moved to Nuremberg around 1560, the city that had been the center o...