Ludi equestres. Das Thurnieren (The Tournament)

Martin Engelbrecht

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This print provides important visual evidence for the enduring favor shown by the German-speaking courts of eighteenth-century Europe for equestrian and martial activities originally developed during the Renaissance. Specifically, the print shows four horsemen practicing the course of the ring, a contest that required each of them to catch with the point of his lance a suspended ring while riding his horse at full speed. Although the course of the ring was immensely popular across sixteenth-century Europe, and gradually supplanted hazardous jousts and other forms of mock combats, over the late eighteenth century it quickly became outmoded, except in the German-speaking world. The Latin and German titles of this print aptly celebrate this remarkable continuity by equating the equestrian games (Ludi equestres) of the eighteenth century with the venerable tournament (Das Thurnieren).

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art