A Flutist and Drummer Before a Moated Castle

Like other works by the Master of the Berlin Roundels, this scene shows his skill at evoking a three-dimensional space. The fifer and the drummer seem to be marching down a spiraling trail that leads to a distant castle. Both have been drawn in minute detail. Each man wears an elegant doublet and breeches that have been quite literally "torn to ribbons." The fashion for slashing garments became extremely popular in Europe in the early 1500s, particularly in Germany, where it reached the most extravagant levels. Tailors cut slits in the clothing and pulled the lining through, usually to show a different color. The doublets' wide, flowing sleeves and the men's elaborate caps were suitable for parade wear but not for battle.

Discovering the identity of the artist of this small round drawing has proven difficult for scholars. It belongs to a group of approximately forty similar works, all showing mercenary soldiers in various activities. This subject was popular in south Germany and Switzerland at the beginning of the 1500s, so many scholars assume the drawings came from that area.