Landsknect Coloring Book

CLASSIFICATION: Historical Costume Volume SUBJECT: 16th-Century Mercenaries (Landsknecht) SOURCE: Period Woodcuts AUTHOR: Marion McNealy ROLE: The Battlefield Peacock

Modern camouflage is designed to hide the soldier. The 16th-century Landsknecht uniform was designed to make sure you saw him coming.

This volume is a visual study of the most audacious military force in European history. Famous for their "puff and slash" aesthetic, these mercenaries were exempt from the sumptuary laws that governed the lower classes, allowing them to wear silks, velvets, and feathers in combinations that bordered on the psychedelic.

Featuring 40 unique woodcut illustrations of soldiers and their camp followers (Tross), this book allows you to engage with the structural complexity of their attire. It is a masterclass in historical swagger—proving that one can be both a ruthless tactician and a fashion icon.

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THE CURATOR'S NOTES

• The "Puff and Slash": This was not random damage; it was deliberate textile engineering. By slashing the outer fabric to pull the lining through, the Landsknecht created a dynamic, volumized silhouette that intimidated the enemy through sheer visual noise.
• The Logistics of War: The volume includes the "Camp Followers"—the women and support staff who managed the logistics of the mercenary army. They are depicted with the same sartorial intensity as the men.
• The Medium: The illustrations are rendered in the style of period woodcuts. They possess the sharp lines and bold shadows of the printing press era, demanding a steady hand with the ink.
• Historical Immunity: Engaging with this book allows you to experience the adrenaline of the Renaissance battlefield without the risk of contracting the plague or facing a pike square.