German Soldier Standing with Flag (recto) and German Soldier Marching with Flag (verso) from Wappen des heiligen römischen Reichs Teutscher Nation, plate 47 from Woodcuts from Books of the XVI Century

1545, assembled into portfolio 1937

Woodcut in black on cream laid paper

21.9 × 14.4 cm (8.6 × 5.7 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Ostentatious heraldry could be a lifesaver on the battlefield, assuming the standard bearer kept his brightly colored and easily identifiable flag high enough to create a rallying point for the regiment. This husky foot soldier firmly grasps the pole while keeping his sword close at hand. The blank flag unfurled here also reappeared with a rampant lion for the Palatine region of Southwestern Germany in a 1579 edition of the same book in the collection of Bayerisches Staatsbibliothek, Munich.

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