Hendrick Verschuring, 'Cavalry attacking a Fortified Place', about 1677
About the work
Overview
The sun glows on the rump of a grey horse galloping into battle, ridden by a young aristocrat. To the right, a riderless horse escapes the carnage, its tossing head standing out against the turmoil of figures, human and animal. Two tall trees that have so far survived the skirmish pierce the sky like spears. Smoke billows, adding to the sense of the smell of such a scene.
This is an imaginary battle in an imaginary place. Verschuring, although Dutch, had lived in Italy for some time. The architecture of the distant village is Italian, as is the warm sky that looks down on the bloodshed below, where swords flash and rifle shots rend the air.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Cavalry attacking a Fortified Place
- Artist
- Hendrick Verschuring
- Artist dates
- 1627 - 1690
- Date made
- about 1677
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 91 × 113.5 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed
- Acquisition credit
- Presented by Augustine Sargent, 1917
- Inventory number
- NG3134
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Neil MacLaren, revised and expanded by Christopher Brown, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School: 1600–1900’, London 1991; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1960Maclaren, Neil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 2 vols, London 1960
-
1991Maclaren, Neil, revised by Christopher Brown, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 1600-1900, 2nd edn (revised and expanded), 2 vols, London 1991
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.