Thursday, February 28, 2013

The War Is Over


Order of release 1746 (1853) by the English painterJohn Everett Millais (1829–1896). Millais depicts here the wife of a rebel Scottish soldier arriving with an order of release for her husband who has been imprisoned after the Jacobite rising of 1745. Finally the war is over. It's kind of typical for Millais that heroism is much more with the civilians, the non-combatants.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Good Old West


Attack on a Wagon Train (1902) by the American painter Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926) also known as C. M. Russell. Russel did more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Indians, and landscapes of the old west.

Friday, February 15, 2013

A Legendary Desaster


The destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem (1867) by the Italian painter Francesco Hayez (1791-1882). Hayez depicts here the sack of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE. It's no glorious event at all, but a bloody massacre where even the angels are horrified flying away.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

History like Hollywood


Cleopatra and Anthony (1902) by the American artist Joseph Christian Leyendecker (1874-1951). History is here only the decoration for much greater emotions. With this powerful illustration Leyendecker kind of anticipates the movie of 1963 starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Friday, February 1, 2013

A Great Victory


The Victory at Narva (1905) by the Swedish painter Gustav Cederström (1845-1933). Once again Cederström glorifies here the great time of the Swedish warrior king Charles XII.