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This is a drawing of a knight standing next to a fire. The knight is depicted in medieval armor, holding a sword in one hand and extending the other hand with a stick towards the fire. The fire consists of large logs and swirling flames. The knight's pose is dynamic, suggesting action or readiness. The ground appears rocky or uneven. The drawing is composed of fine lines and shading, displaying intricate details of the knight's attire and the fire. The style is illustrative and detailed, characteristic of Renaissance sketches.
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This is a drawing of a knight standing next to a fire. The knight is depicted in medieval armor, holding a sword in one hand and extending the other hand with a stick towards the fire. The fire consists of large logs and swirling flames. The knight's pose is dynamic, suggesting action or readiness. The ground appears rocky or uneven. The drawing is composed of fine lines and shading, displaying intricate details of the knight's attire and the fire. The style is illustrative and detailed, characteristic of Renaissance sketches.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

"Do Not Poke the Fire with a Sword" [fol. 20 recto]

French early 16th Century

Date
c. 1512/1515
Medium
pen and gray ink on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 16.2 x 10.7 cm (6 3/8 x 4 3/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2006.11.51
Credit line
Woodner Collection, Gift of Andrea Woodner
Time span
1501 to 1550
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Portfolio and series

Series
Speculum principis (Mirror for Princes)

Subjects and terms

  • French
  • Costume
  • Fire
  • Sword
  • Man
Provenance

(Sale, London, Sotheby's, 13 July 1937, lot 64); (sale, London, Sotheby's, 15-17 November 1937, lot 546); (sale, London, Maggs Bros., Ltd., catalogue 709, 1941, no. 30); (purchased by William H. Schab Gallery via Paul Graupe); purchased by Ian Woodner, New York, by 1973; by inheritance to his daughters, Andrea and Dian Woodner, New York, 1990.

Watermarks

Briquet 13542 (cut off)

NGA object ID 86048. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.