Day 142 - Parade armor
April 2, 2019
Gallery 374 is mostly devoted to parade armor. I learn that the embossing (repousse') process, which involved the raising and chiseling away of the armor's surface, significantly reduced its strength as well as its ability to deflect weapons. But it allowed for fantastically elaborate designs. In fact, some of the shields reproduce scenes from contemporary engravings. One wood and leather shield from 16th century Italy, vividly painted on its concave inner surface, calls to mind a faience plate.
Today's work, made in Augsburg about 1525, may have been made for a noble of the Radziwill family. (These galleries remind me how little I know of Polish history.) It provides a window into what male fashions of the day looked like, since, as the caption notes, it reproduces in steel, with embossing, etching, and gilt insets, the puffed sleeves and slashings (here indicated by crescent-shaped cutouts) of a man's costume, or more specifically, the costume of the German mercenary infantry troops. Wait --- this makes no sense. Why would Radziwill have wanted to wear armor with such "low" associations? Maybe because it is so finely made and unusual and eye-catching. At least, that's what drew me to it.
At one end of the gallery is a full-length portrait of Philip IV of Spain wearing elaborate body armor and standing against a burgundy velvet backdrop, his helmet on a nearby ledge. At first, I wonder, given the subject, whether it's a Velazquez, but then I figure that the Met wouldn't hang such a treasure in a relatively off-the-beaten-track gallery. I see that the painter was one Gaspar de Crayer, a Flemish painter who did several portraits of Philip. In any case, it's a reminder that, no matter how unexpectedly interesting these armor galleries are proving, I am looking forward immensely to the European painting galleries.
Today's work, made in Augsburg about 1525, may have been made for a noble of the Radziwill family. (These galleries remind me how little I know of Polish history.) It provides a window into what male fashions of the day looked like, since, as the caption notes, it reproduces in steel, with embossing, etching, and gilt insets, the puffed sleeves and slashings (here indicated by crescent-shaped cutouts) of a man's costume, or more specifically, the costume of the German mercenary infantry troops. Wait --- this makes no sense. Why would Radziwill have wanted to wear armor with such "low" associations? Maybe because it is so finely made and unusual and eye-catching. At least, that's what drew me to it.
At one end of the gallery is a full-length portrait of Philip IV of Spain wearing elaborate body armor and standing against a burgundy velvet backdrop, his helmet on a nearby ledge. At first, I wonder, given the subject, whether it's a Velazquez, but then I figure that the Met wouldn't hang such a treasure in a relatively off-the-beaten-track gallery. I see that the painter was one Gaspar de Crayer, a Flemish painter who did several portraits of Philip. In any case, it's a reminder that, no matter how unexpectedly interesting these armor galleries are proving, I am looking forward immensely to the European painting galleries.
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