The Art of the Gladiator
[click on any image for an enlarged version]
'De Arte Athletica' (Volume II) [B Cod.icon. 393(2)] is online at the Bavarian State Library.
The massive mid-16th century treatise on combat techniques by Paul Hector Mair totals over twelve hundred pages, spread across two exquisitely illustrated manuscripts.
Volume I - featured earlier this year in the entry Pugnacious Puffy Pants - 'tends' to concentrate more on the armed and unarmed hand-to-hand techniques, while the present volume introduces the tournament combat styles of knights.
A number of the illustrations are thought, perhaps unsurprisingly, to have been derived from or copied after the style of Hans Bergkmair (both father & son); see: Burgkmair Tournament Book. Some of the scenes and combattants depicted in 'De Arte Athletica' are based on actual tournaments (and participants) from history.
- Translated catalogue page.
- More background information on Mair and this magnificent work can be found in Pugnacious Puffy Pants: definitely worth seeing.
- Previously in general: combat & festival.
5 comments :
This is quite magnificent! And I thought Pugnacious Puffy Pants was impressive when I first saw it.
Great collection, I really enjoyed the colors-thank you for posting!
Absolutely stunning! Thank you so much!
mola molt
gràcies
So great works in this blog! From here, it's one of my favs! Thanks you for posting!!
Greetings from southern Spain!! ;)
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