GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The central group of soldiers and horses is sketched in loose, expressive brushstrokes that mimic the swirling intensity of the closely fought battle. Grisly details of the combat—a severed head, blood stained scimitars, the wild–eyed terror of the horses—emerge from the dense composition. The surrounding landscape is, by comparison, almost formless, the mere suggestion of a backdrop for the drama of the battle. Théodore Chassériau painted this small battle scene soon after returning to France from Algeria. The exotic and violent subject matter, which reflected the often bloody French colonial conquest and occupation of Algeria, would have been charged with political significance for Chassériau's contemporaries.
Excerpt from
Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy, 2009
NOTES
Created in 1854
Checked Piction
TMS done
This romantic depiction of battling horsemen combines virtuosity and delicacy in a strong composition with a complex interaction of figures. It is typical of the perfect balance Théodore Chassériau created between the linear strength of his master Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres and the impetuous bravura of Eugene Delacroix. The subtle landscape in the background, with a camp on a hill, and the subdued exoticism of the costumes do not hide the ferocity of the hand-to-hand fight that rages under the green standard. Chassériau visited Algeria in 1846, staying two months in the old city of Constantine. The many detailed drawings he made of the people he saw became sources for the Orientalist paintings he created in the last decade of his life.
Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Battle of Arab Horsemen Around a Standard ," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 183.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Chassériau, Théodore (French, 1819-1856)
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: France (nation): TGN: 1000070
Depicted location: Algeria (nation): TGN: 7016752
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles~Read a biography of the artist from the Getty.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York~Check out these paintings by Chassériau from the 2002 exhibition Théodore Chassériau (1819-1856): The Unknown Romantic.
- Musée Des Beaux Arts de Quimper, France~View an example of Chassériau's portraiture.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- Théodore Chassériau joined the studio of famous French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres at the age of eleven.
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 2003.40.FA
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General Description
The central group of soldiers and horses is sketched in loose, expressive brushstrokes that mimic the swirling intensity of the closely fought battle. Grisly details of the combat—a severed head, blood stained scimitars, the wild–eyed terror of the horses—emerge from the dense composition. The surrounding landscape is, by comparison, almost formless, the mere suggestion of a backdrop for the drama of the battle. Théodore Chassériau painted this small battle scene soon after returning to France from Algeria. The exotic and violent subject matter, which reflected the often bloody French colonial conquest and occupation of Algeria, would have been charged with political significance for Chassériau's contemporaries.
Excerpt from
Heather MacDonald, DMA Label copy, 2009
Fun Facts
- Théodore Chassériau joined the studio of famous French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres at the age of eleven.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles~Read a biography of the artist from the Getty.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York~Check out these paintings by Chassériau from the 2002 exhibition Théodore Chassériau (1819-1856): The Unknown Romantic.
- Musée Des Beaux Arts de Quimper, France~View an example of Chassériau's portraiture.
Notes
Created in 1854
Checked Piction
TMS done
This romantic depiction of battling horsemen combines virtuosity and delicacy in a strong composition with a complex interaction of figures. It is typical of the perfect balance Théodore Chassériau created between the linear strength of his master Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres and the impetuous bravura of Eugene Delacroix. The subtle landscape in the background, with a camp on a hill, and the subdued exoticism of the costumes do not hide the ferocity of the hand-to-hand fight that rages under the green standard. Chassériau visited Algeria in 1846, staying two months in the old city of Constantine. The many detailed drawings he made of the people he saw became sources for the Orientalist paintings he created in the last decade of his life.
Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Battle of Arab Horsemen Around a Standard ," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 183.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Chassériau, Théodore (French, 1819-1856)
Cultures
Geography
Place of origin: France (nation): TGN: 1000070
Depicted location: Algeria (nation): TGN: 7016752
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
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