Three Soldiers
Unknown Artist
ca. 1500
Medium
Oak, traces of polychromy, gilding
Dimensions
Overall: 25 1/16 x 16 5/8 x 5 3/16in. (63.7 x 42.3 x 13.2cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Wood
Culture
South Netherlandish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1916
Accession Number
16.32.219
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Art collection, *Three Soldiers* is a South Netherlandish oak wood sculpture from around 1500. Carved by an unknown artist, this compact relief—measuring just over 25 inches tall—depicts three armored figures, evoking the military prowess and chivalric ideals of late medieval Europe. Hailing from the prosperous Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium), the work reflects the region's vibrant tradition of devotional and narrative art, where wood carvings often adorned altarpieces, retables, or private chapels amid the transition from Gothic t...