Combats and Triumphs: Combat of Naked Men
Etienne Delaune French
Related to Luca Penni Italian
Related to Barthel Beham German
Not on view
Engraving, part of a set of 12 prints of rectangular shape, executed over black backgrounds, and depicting combats and triumphs, likely influenced by the combat scenes created by German masters such as Georg Pencz and the Beham brothers. This print represents a combat between naked men, executed in two close planes, creating the effect of a low-relief, in the style of compositions by Luca Penni and Barthel Beham, both of which created prints with combat scenes with similarly violent mixtures of men fighting each other, and figures with similar body comportment, which create a kind of rhythm in the scene. The composition by Delaune in this print, however, is unique in its depiction of Native American "savages," which can be recognized by the feathers adorning their bodies and heads, while Penni and Beham both dress their characters in classical robes. The inclusion of American characters might have been inspired by a variety of prints depicting the Americas that were brought into France during the reign of Henri II.
