Description:
dark sky, two men robed in white with turbans locked in combat on their horses in center image with many figures around them in battle, Moorish buildings in distance; outdoor; animal; military/war; architecture; costume/uniform
Label Text:
Chassériau’s work often combined the refined draftsmanship of his teacher, Jean-Auguste-Dominque Ingres, and the romantic drama and coloristic effects of Eugène Delacroix, whose influence is evident in this scene of combat among Arab horsemen.
The French occupied North Africa in 1830 and subsequently colonized and annexed Algeria, where Chassériau traveled in 1846. He produced four paintings of battles, including this one, which were probably based on accounts by the French military. Here, the Spahis, Arab cavalrymen who joined French forces, battle the Kabyles, Berber people who opposed the French presence. The intensity of the fight is conveyed by the central dueling figures whose horses violently attack each other.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1950.1 |
