Armor of Gonzalo de Córdoba, Madrid Armory, Antique Print, 1851

This is an original antique chromolithograph, printed in gold brown and olive bronze with dark shading, showing a half armor. It comprises a close helmet with a pointed visor, a gorget, a breastplate with a central ridge, shoulder defenses with upright guards, articulated arm defenses with elbow cops, and a pair of tassets fastened with brass buckles. The whole surface is etched with fine foliage and edged with rows of rivets, and the buckles give the only bright accents.

The running head reads "LE MOYEN-AGE ET LA RENAISSANCE" at the left and "ARMURERIE Pl. XX." at the right. Below the image are the credits "Rivaud del.", "Chromolith. Lemercier." and "Thurwanger lith.". The caption reads "ARMURE DE GONZALVE DE CORDOUE (XVIe Siècle)" and "(Armeria real de Madrid.)" (armor of Gonzalo de Córdoba, sixteenth century, Royal Armory of Madrid), followed by "F. Séré direxit."

Le Moyen Âge et la Renaissance was edited by Paul Lacroix, who also wrote as the Bibliophile Jacob, with Ferdinand Séré directing the illustrations, and was published in Paris in five volumes between 1848 and 1851. Its chapters, written by a range of specialists, survey the arts, crafts, sciences and customs of Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, and its plates reproduce objects, manuscripts and buildings in public and private collections of the day. This plate comes from the fourth volume, of 1851, where it accompanies the section headed "Armurerie" (armor). Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba was the Spanish general known as the Great Captain.

The plate can be framed on its own or hung with other plates from the work.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.