This early 18th-century Flemish oil painting depicts an animated cavalry battle before a stone fort with a tower. It’s reminiscent of works by German artist Georg Philipp Rugendas (1666-1742).
The sudden gallop of hooves, war cries, and the clanking of swords fracture the morning’s silence. Carnage ensues, and the fallen lie prone. An arrow hurtles towards a horseback rider who raises his shield in hopeful desperation.
Battle scenes such as these were particularly popular during the mid to late 17th century and into the 18th century, as noble patrons sought to decorate their homes with glorified images of successful combat. Artists across Europe, particularly in Italy, France, and the Low Countries, produced scores of rugged portrayals.
Many of these were undertaken from the confines of workshops, but Georg Philipp Rugendas was different. Rather than speculate as to the tactics and brutality, he often accompanied the troops onto the battlefield. How he managed to sketch without being mortally wounded is something akin to a miracle.
Given his reputation, numerous prints after his originals were circulated, which his contemporaries and followers often used as the basis of their works. If you spend time examining his known oeuvre, you’ll discover that his modelling has been adapted by others, including by Flemish artist Arnold Frans Rubens (1687-1719). We feel that our painting could be an amalgamation of one or more of his figures, coupled with the artist’s own imaginative creations.
The battle is unknown, but it’s conceivably a scene from The Great Turkish War (1683-1699) when the Holy League defeated the Ottoman Empire.
Held in a later gilt frame.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 27” x 20” / 69cm x 51cm
Year of creation: c. 1720
Provenance: Private collection, Belgium.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Fine craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Our reference: BRV2202
