Cavalry Battle by a River

2nd half of the 18th century

Louis-Nicolas van Blarenberghe

Associated Names
Louis-Nicolas van Blarenberghe

Artist, French, 1716 or 1719 - 1794

The image depicts a battle scene from an elevated point of view. It shows action close to us and the landscape in the distance. The horizon is in the upper third of the painting, showing land meeting the sky with distant blue hills or mountains. The sky has billowing clouds, and the brushstrokes focus on the movement of smoke and interactions of figures and horses. The color palette includes earthy tones of browns and greens, contrasting with deep blues and whites. In the foreground, two figures on horseback are prominently featured among soldiers and battle smoke. More figures are seen farther away. The ground is rugged with a body of water to the left.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gouache on vellum, laid down on an old mount

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Jeffrey E. Horvitz

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 16.9 × 22.5 cm (6 5/8 × 8 7/8 in.)
    mount: 23.5 × 29.1 cm (9 1/4 × 11 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2017.159.5


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(sale, Christie's, New York, 22 January 2004, no. 273(ii); The Horvitz Collection, Boston; gift to NGA, 2017.

Associated Names

Wikidata ID

Q64594036

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