The Battle of Aboukir
| The Battle of Aboukir | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Antoine-Jean Gros |
| Year | 1806 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 578 cm × 968 cm (228 in × 381 in) |
| Location | Palace of Versailles, Versailles |
The Battle of Aboukir is an oil on canvas painting by French artist Antoine-Jean Gros, executed in 1806. It has the large dimensions of 578 by 968 cm. It is held at the Palace of Versailles.
History and description
The painting depicts the battle of Aboukir, that took place on 25 July 1799, when the French Army, led by Napoleon, despite being outnumbered, was able to defeat the Ottoman Empire Army and their British allies, in Egypt. At the center of the composition is the French general Joachim Murat, riding a white horse, with his sword held up high, in a scene of bloody carnage, near the sea, while the Turkish pasha presents him with his sword, as a sign of surrendering, to his right. At the background of the painting a fortress stands, with some ships on the sea.[1]
The dramatism of the scene represents a radical departure of the way battles were depicted in neoclassical painting, it is already a romantic scene, and this and other paintings by Gros had a strong influence in the development of the work of fellow French painters Théodore Géricault and Eugène Delacroix.[2]
The painting was commissioned by Joachim Murat to Gros, and executed in 1806. It was in the National Palace of Naples, in 1808, and was bought by the Musée du Luxembourg, in 1833. It is part of the art collection of the Palace of Versailles, since 1835.[3] A small sketch for the painting is held at the Detroit Institute of Arts.[4]
References
- ^ Claire Constans, Musée national du château de Versailles. Les Peintures, Paris, RMN, 1995 (French)
- ^ Colonial History The Battle of Aboukir, Art History for Filmmakers
- ^ The Battle of Aboukir, Google Arts & Culture
- ^ Murat Defeating the Turkish Army at Aboukir, Detroit Institute of Arts
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