Pair Of Gouaches On Paper From The 17th Century

Pair of 17th-century gouaches on paper after a 16th-century engraving by Théodore de Bry, depicting two processions with knights, warriors, and vanities.
Mixed technique on parchment in the miniature style, unsigned.
11.5 x 15 cm.

On the verso, partially taped onto blue cardboard with an old ink inscription. In old glass frames.
Both depictions show the procession in the distance, in the hilly landscape with castles. One of the images depicts landsknechts accompanied by women with a covered wagon, a young man carrying geese, and a woman with a loot sack. It is possible that this is a raid. Conversely, the setting refers to the concomitant phenomena of the Turkish War: the leader riding at the front next to a camel held by a Turk, followed by prisoners and Turkish figures tied among the landsknechts with halberds. On the right edge of the image, a memento mori motif in the form of a skeleton riding with a raised hourglass, accompanied by two other figures with a scythe and a spear. A notable feature in both images is a rooster or a hen on a covered wagon. The pair of paintings in the context of the historical events of the 17th century is quite remarkable.