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This helmet is believed to have been made in Antwerp and decorated by engraver Adrian Collaert. It can be traced back to the home of the Sidney family at Penshurst, Kent in England. It most likely belonged to Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586), an Elizabethan poet and soldier who fought the Spanish in the Low Countries (now the Netherlands and Belgium) and died of battle wounds in 1586.

About the Artist

Adrian Collaert was born in the city of Amberes in Belgium. Collaert was an engraver of some repute. He frequently used Renaissance ornamental designs such as trophies, foliage, strapwork, and classical scenes taken from Mannerist decorative prints as inspiration for his etchings.

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: Do you consider this helmet to be art? Why or why not? Find other examples of elaborate burgonets and armor and discuss what qualities they have that would be considered artistic.

Activities: Research the life of a knight. Could anyone be a knight? What type of training did one have to undergo in order to become a knight? What was expected of a knight? Were there benefits to becoming a knight? Make a list of the pros and cons associated with knighthood, then write an essay explaining whether or not you would have wanted to be a knight and why.

Philip Sidney was a poet, soldier, and courtesan to Queen Elizabeth. After spending time in Italy, Sidney became familiar with a new literary form—the (Italian) sonnet. He later brought the sonnet style with him back to England, where it became popular and was used and adapted by a playwright known as William Shakespeare. Read some of Shakespeare’s sonnets and, after exploring and analyzing the sonnet form, write your own sonnet.

Links

Explore the work of Sir Philip Sidney at the Luminarium English literature web site.
[www.luminarium.org/renlit/sidney.htm]

See examples of Renaissance engravings, including works by Adrian Collaert, at the Philadelphia Print Shop.
[www.philaprintshop.com/allegory.html]

Read about arms and armor in Renaissance Europe on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s timeline of art history.
[www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rarm/hd_rarm.htm]

Find out more about Britain’s Royal Armouries and artifact preservation at the armouries web site.
[www.armouries.org.uk]

See additional images of historic arms at the Frazier web site.
[www.frazierarmsmuseum.org/media/royal/royal.php]