Italian school; second half of the 17th century.

Italian school; second half of the seventeenth century.
"Battle scene".
Oil on canvas.
It presents restorations in the pictorial surface.
It has a frame of the twentieth century.
Measurements: 38.5 x 51 cm; 51 x 64 cm (frame).
In this canvas a historical theme is represented, a violent battle in a natural scenery dominated by a moving sky, which determines a very gloomy illumination, of shines and half shadows. The action is concentrated in the foreground, where several soldiers on horseback fight violently, captured in complicated foreshortenings well resolved by the painter. Beyond the foreground, the narration becomes confused, the characters blurred by the effect of distance, thus achieving a convincing atmospheric impression. Through his loose brushstrokes, the work expresses a dynamic, theatrical, narrative and expressive style, supported by a solid handling of light, composition and color. Thus, we see an apparently chaotic scene, although rigorously studied, that reflects with naturalism the din of the fight, the violence of the confrontation, a violence that is also reflected in the chromatism itself, warm and fiery.
In addition, the subject matter is allusive to a historical fact, which was a very common thematic resource during this period. The historicist incursions at first were inspired by scenes from Christian history, scenes from mythology or classical antiquity, however, in this case the scene is captured from a realistic point of view despite the brushstroke, the author has conceived the work as if it were a documentary element, presenting himself as a witness of the events. History painting was traditionally considered the most important genre. This preeminence was explained by a certain concept that art had to propose noble and credible examples. Therefore, the superiority of those artistic works in which what was narrated was considered elevated 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 the action, the chaos and the movement of a war battle.