Trommelaar, vaandeldrager en fluitist 1525

Barthel Beham made this tiny engraving of a drummer, a standard-bearer and a piper sometime around 1525. Beham was one of a group of artists working in and around Nuremberg who were deeply engaged in the issues of their time. This was a period when new forms of military organization were coming into being. Bands of mercenaries, the Landsknechte, were a common feature of the landscape. These were hired soldiers who fought for whoever paid them. They brought with them a distinctive culture: new forms of dress, new weaponry, and a reputation for brutality. The men depicted here are probably Landsknechte. They are well-dressed and well-armed, ready for action. Such images were used to promote patriotism or recruit soldiers. By looking at prints and other forms of popular imagery, as well as military records and economic data, we can come to understand the appeal of military service in early modern Europe.