The Bearer of the Banner of the Canton Glarus
Urs Graf Swiss
Not on view
Conceived as one of a series of standard-bearers of the thirteen cantons of the Swiss Confederacy, this drawing depicts a mercenary holding the banner of Glarus, featuring the sixth-century Irish monk Saint Fridolin, who converted the region to Christianity. The importance given to the saint makes him appear almost alive, but his meek expression contrasts with the vigorous stance of the standard-bearer and the latter’s fashionable clothes. The often unorthodox subjects depicted by Urs Graf, who for a time served as a mercenary himself, are matched by his exuberant, calligraphic manner of drawing.
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