Paul Dolnstein and His Sketchbook

Dolnstein offers a unique idiosyncratic insight into the emergence and experiences of the famous mercenaries, the Landsknecht. Earlier scholarship on Landsknechts can be divided into three traditions: (1) the German, (2) the International, and (3) the Art Historical. The German school examines the Landsknecht as a novel military development and focuses on how the Landsknecht came to be, how they were organized and what military tactics they introduced. The International tradition is less extensive and is primarily concentrated on how Landsknechts were part of a larger military development. Art history examines the Landsknecht as a theme in sixteenth-century art and how they have been used as a symbol to signify death or despair.This volume will further aid the examination of the early Landsknecht (1490–1505) by bringing insights from all three traditions together, through the eyes of a single historical individual.