I he reverberation of the various styles and
epochs of popular art is like an echo that makes
itself heard only a long time after the creative
genius has intoned a new melody. But the same
circumstance explains why popular art affects
us with an entirely individual tonality and with
modulations of the greatest charm. The custom
of retaining on targets all events and moods
which were important in the life of the people
probably dates back even beyond the year
1600, since the masterful pictorial composition
in the round of a target which distinguishes the
oldest samples known to us (all of them dating
from this time) would seem to indicate a long
and even earlier tradition. The rifle-associations
represent the very first burgher organisations,
some of which demonstrably have existed since
the Middle Ages. With the rifle-associations
and fraternities the burghers created a strong
instrument with which to assert and defend
themselves and their privileges against the
greed of power of nobles and princes. The
significance of this self-defense and the proud
self-assertion of a class awakening to a sense
of its own importance, are evident in the artistic
manifestations of these associations, and the
targets are the by far most popular and memo
rable among these artistic witnesses. Since these
Die abgebildeten Farbphotographien sind dern im
Verlag F'.Bruckmann, Münchenerschienenen Buch
Trijf ins Schwarge von Claus und Fiselotte Hansmann
entnommen.
The color photos are taken from the book
Trijf ins Schtvarge by Claus and Fiselotte Flatismann,
published by BruckmannPublishing-HouseMunich
Les photographies en couleurs sont empruntées a I 'ouvrage
de Claus et Liselotte Hansmann Droit au but
paru aux Editions Bruckmann, Munich.
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