Mars and the Muses: The Renaissance Art of Armour

This member lecture is available as both an in person and a recording only event. The recording will be made available to ALL attendees on the Monday following the event and will be available for 4 weeks.

There will also be an opportunity to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Society at the drinks reception following the lecture. This event will consequently end an hour later than usual, at 21.15 and finger foods will be provided as well as drinks.

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, almost all of the most powerful noblemen in Europe were dedicated patrons of the armourer’s art.

One of the great Renaissance art-forms, armour was an intensely personal artistic statement. Its essence was the creation of a living sculpture, a process which demanded not only fantastic skill in the sculpting of carbon steel, but also mastery of all decorative techniques available to the Renaissance metalworker.

The achievements of virtuoso masters like Kolman Helmschmid, Konrad Seusenhofer, Filippo Negroli, and Jacob Halder were not however just about splendour and richness. They remained formidable tools for active combat, allowing the Renaissance prince to stride confidently into battle at the head of his army.