Lansquenets were foot soldiers who fought as mercenaries in the 15th and 16th centuries and whose characteristic weapon was a pike. Introduced by Emperor Maximilian I, lansquenets were initially recruited mainly for the Imperial Habsburg army, but they eventually fought for many other European princes as well. The lansquenets shown here are equipped with customary weaponry and outfitted in their typical flamboyant dress.
Source: Die Püchssen Schijczen. [...] Lautzknecht sein vns holdt. In: Heereszug der Landsknechte, attributed to E. Schön, 9 Bll., H. XLVIII, 4, 141. Colorized woodcut (c. 1532-42). Herzog Anton-Ulrich Museum Braunschweig, available online from the Museum Digital Niedersachsen, https://nds.museum-digital.de/object/11434