Artwork Page for Der Weisskunig (The White King): The Siege of Padua

Details / Information for Der Weisskunig (The White King): The Siege of Padua

Series Title: Der Weisskunig

Der Weisskunig (The White King): The Siege of Padua

1512–1515

Hans Burgkmair

(German, 1473–1531)
Culture
Germany
Medium
woodcut
Credit Line
Dudley P. Allen Fund 1960.32
Catalogue raisonné
Hollstein V.117.518
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

These woodcuts depicting military campaigns are illustrations for Der Weisskunig, or The White King, a fictionalized biography of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (reigned 1486–1519). Written in German, the book takes the form of a courtly romance novel featuring armored knights. The hero, Maximilian, is the White King. The Blue King and his party represent France. Maximilian was the earliest Renaissance prince to extensively use printed images and texts to cultivate his authority and spread his ideology. Der Weisskunig is one of several major print projects sponsored by the emperor and executed by a legion of advisors, authors, designers, and craftsmen.
A vertically oriented woodcut depicts a walled city under siege from a sprawling camp. In the foreground, pointed tents flank soldiers, horses, and a supply wagon. Large cannons in the middle ground aim toward a fortified city with multiple towers and a central dome. Dense black hatching defines the elevated landscape, while small flags with crosses and a double-headed eagle fly across the scene beneath a cloudy sky.

Der Weisskunig (The White King): The Siege of Padua

1512–1515

Hans Burgkmair

(German, 1473–1531)
Germany

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