European school; second half of the 19th century. "Battle... Lot 45

European school; second half of the 19th century. "Battle of Naples and battle against the Turks". Oil on canvas. It presents slight restorations. Measurements: 18 x 30 cm; 29 x 40,5 cm (frame). In this pair of works the author shows two war conflicts, which stand out for the dynamism and profusion of the characters, characteristic in this type of theme. However, one of the paintings has a context that invites us to situate it in Naples, due to the ruins that can be seen on the left side of the scene and the presence of the volcano in the background, which dominates the image. The subject matter of both is allusive to a historical event, which was a very common thematic device during this period. Historicist incursions were initially inspired by scenes from history, mythology or classical antiquity; however, in this case the scenes are captured from a realistic point of view despite the brushstrokes, the artist has conceived the work as if it were a documentary element, presenting himself as a witness to the events. History painting was traditionally considered the most important genre. This pre-eminence was explained by a certain concept that art had to offer noble and credible examples. For this reason, the superiority of those artistic works in which what was narrated was considered lofty or noble was defended; however, in this case, as mentioned above, the author does not seek to narrate a story, but rather to show the gesture of action, chaos and movement typical of a war battle.