Monday, February 23, 2009

The people


Peasants and townfolk are encouraged to take part in the battle of Worringen 1288.

Painting by Peter Janssen (1844-1908)

Arrival


The arrival of the Croats at the Adriatic Sea in the early 7th century. Pure fantasy, how the mother is showing her child the new land…

Painting from 1905 by croatian painter Oton Ivekovic (1869-1939).

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Foundation


The Foundation of Lima by Francisco Pizarro.

Painting from the peruvian painter Francisco González Gamarra.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

National Myths



Painting history was an effort and an illusion typical for the 19th century. The effort was to construct something like national myths to help a process which is now called "nation building".
But the great illusion was, that history could be paintable.

Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851
Painting from Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, American, 1816-1868