Westward Ho

Westward the Course of Empire takes its Way (1861) by the German American painter Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (1816–1868). This painting better known as "Westward Ho" decorates as a mural the United States Capitol Building.
It symbolizes Manifest Destiny, i.e. the belief that the United States was destined for Western expansion from the   Atlantic coast to the Pacific ocean.

Brave Soldiers

Sounding of the Horn (1879) by the Italian painter Cesare Auguste Detti (1847-1914). Detti was specialized in historical genre scenes mainly settled in the 17th or 18th century. Here he depicted a group of well composed soldiers, probably some Italian mercenaries in Flanders or Germany.

Saint James the Moor-slayer

Saint James at the battle of Clavijo (1885) by the Spanish painter José María Casado del Alisal (1832-1886). In the Spanish legend Saint James miraculously appeared to fight for the Christiansduring the battle of Clavijo (844), and became therefore as Santiago Matamoros, or the Moor-slayer the national saint of Spain.
Interesting is that Casado del Alisal did here a kind of history painting instead of a religious one. In this manner he is assuring the "historical reality" of the legend.

Columbus the Genius

Columbus (1865) by the German painter Karl Theodor von Piloty (1826–1886). Despite this is one of the few paintings showing Columbus as a sailor Piloty focuses the attention on the lonely genius, it's much more Faust in his study than a captain aboard his ship.