Classical Love Story

Horace and Lydia (1924) by the British painter John Collier (1850-1934).

Collier one of the most prominent British painters of his generation shows here a fictional .dialogue between the great Roman poet Horace and Lydia.
Despite it’s a well done painting, one shouldn’t forget that it was done in 1924! Meaning it was much more than out of fashion. Collier kept stubborn to his 19th century style ignoring all what happened around him.

Heroic History

The Expulsion of the Danes from Manchester 910 AD (1879-93) by the English painter Ford Maddox Brown (1821-1893).

This is a fresco in the Manchester Town Hall. These “illustrations” of great events of the own history were very popular in the 19th century. As frescos in public buildings they gave the illusion of a long important history. Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian-era Neo-gothic building which only pretends to be medieval underlines this circumstance.

It’s interesting that Maddox Brown doesn’t pretend to be realistic, he presented a kind of naïve comic strip. Nice is the archer who seems to be taken from an Italian renaissance painting.

Hessian Mercenaries

Hessian Mercenaries by the American illustrator Mead Schaeffer (1898-1980). The illustration was done for the book Everybody's Washington by Alden Arthur Knipe published in 1931.

Despite some may think that’s a simple book illustration, you should notice the brilliant simplifications, the string colors and shadows. That’s Art Deco at it’s best.

Celtic Raiders

Two Celtic raiders bythe French painter Evariste Vital Luminais (1821-1896). Luminais was specialized in warriors of the old French past. He glorified them in a dark romantic way.

Sweet Middle Ages

A Paige by the French painter Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889).

Cabanel was one of he most influential artists in 19th century France. He was part of the jury of the important Paris Salon. He and Bougereau were responsible that the later impressionist artist weren’t allowed to exhibit their work in the Salon of 1863.
So a kind of ultra-traditionalist artist he presents here his interpretation of a sweet romantic past: a medieval page. The cheesy work was bought by emperor Napoleon III.

Rejecting the tribute

Ivan the Great tearing the khan's letter to pieces (c.1880) by the Russian painter Alexey Kivshenko (1851-1895).

Ivan the Great was the Grand Prince of Moscow who refused in 1480 to pay the customary tribute to the grand Khan of the Golden Horde. And liberated Russia from the so called Tatar yoke.
It’s told that he tered apart the khan’s letter. For every Russian it’s therefore one of the great highlights of national history.

Viking Raiders

The Ravager (1909) by the British artist John Charles Dollman (1851-1934).

Dollman specialized in historical subjects and genre. Besides paintings he did many illustrations for books. Here he depicted a group of Viking raiders with their then so popular decorated helmets. They are advancing over a snow covered plain accompanied by ravens, the vultures of the North.

Lost Cause

A Lost Cause (1888) by the British painter Andrew Carrick Gow (1848-1920).

Gow was a well known history painter. Here he shows James II fleeing to France after the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, which ended the catholic claim to the throne and brought the protestant William of Orange to power. It’s therefore a tragic scene, hopes and dreams are buried and many, many Irish will follow their prince into exile.

A Bard

Boyan (1910) by the Russian painter Viktor Vasnetsov (1848-1926).

Vasnetsov son of a priest and played a leading role in the evolution of Russian art from 19th-century realism towards Art Nouveau with a national historical slant. He was also very important in utilizing historical subjects to create a kind of national Slavic myth.
Here he shows Boyan a famous bard from the times of Yaroslav the Wise (c. 978–1054) one of the great rulers of the old Rus. Old noble Rus warriors are listening to their bard, who’s is probably telling them patriotic stories of their glorious past.

Cain's Clan

Cain (1880) by the French painter Fernand-Anne Piestre Cormon (1845-1924).

Cormon depicted Cain and his family fleeing through a desert. There are desperate people in a desperate situation. The strong long shadows have the effect that the whole clan is haunted by the light, meaning the wrath of God.
But despite the biblical subject the painting is above all an anthropologic study. It shows how the artist imagined prehistoric people. So Cain’s folk look more like a horde of Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon, which had been discovered not long before the painting was done.

Sturdy Knights

An illustration of the book The Boy's King Arthur (1922) by N.C. (Newell Convers) Wyeth, one of America's greatest illustrators (1882–1945).

Unlike the 19th century artists historical accuracy was no objective for Wyeth. He was aware that history always would be a construction. So he painted two bullish, powerful knights wearing their armor like a skin.

Recruiting the Poor

Listed for the Connaught Rangers or Recruiting in Ireland (1878) by Lady Butler (1846-1933).

Lady Butler leaves no doubt about the origins of the British soldiers. Here are the poor and homeless recruited to defend the empire. It’s a kind of anticipation of her later painting Evicted (1890).