Peeping in the Arena

Faithful Unto Death - Christianae ad Leones (1897) by the British painter Herbert Gustave Carmichael Schmalz (1856-1935). One of that typical cheesy arena paintings where decorative naked Christians are waiting for the lions. Should be a great horror show but in the end it's all about the beautiful girls exposed to the onlooker – of the painting!

Ecce Homo!

Ecce Homo! (1871) by the Italian painter Antonio Ciseri (1821-1891). Ciseri depicts here the moment when Pontius Pilate presents Jesus to the crowd. That's a classical scenery, but really new it isn't a religious painting, with all the architecture, the clothes the dramatic scenery it's pure history painting. It's much more decoration than religion.

Art Deco Cleopatra

Cleopatra by the American artist Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966). Parrish doesn't intend to simulate a far past, Cleopatra looks like a woman of the golden twenties. She's only a symbol for the timeless femme fatale.

Sacred Act

Druids cutting the mistletoe (1900) by the French history painter Henri-Paul Motte (1846-1922). Today it looks much more like a fantasy scene from the Lord of the Rings, but then many people thought that their past may have looked like this.

Victory of the citizens

The battle of Legnano 1176 (1831) by the Italian painter Massimo Taparelli, marquis d'Azeglio (1798-1866). Taparelli is glorifying here the moment when the citizens of the Lombard League defend their Carroccio a sacred wagon with the city standard against the knights of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
Especially in the 19th century Italian romantics discovered here the roots of modern citizenship.

Sack of Rome

Genseric sacking Rome 455 (1833-1836) by the Russian painter Karl Pavlovich Briullov (1799-1852).

Despite Briullov is considered the most important Russian romantic painter the neoclassical influence is still very dominant here. Wilde barbaric hordes are sacking Rome the cradle of modern culture.

Besides the barbarian costumes are still very dilettantish indicating the poor state of historical research.

A Broken Hero

Belisarius receiving hospitality from a peasant who had served under him (1779) by the French neoclassical painter Jean-François Pierre Peyron (1744-1814).

Peyron was one of the most influential neoclassical painters of his time until the rise of David. He shows here the great Byzantine General who defeated Vandals and Ostrogoths but was nonetheless blinded by an ungrateful Emperor. Here the old blind hero is still worshiped by one of his veterans.

More Good Old Times

A genre painting by the Spanish painter Francisco José Domingo y Marqués (1842-1920).

Domingo y Marqués turned later to Impressionism but first he did many traditional history paintings. There he prefered genre paintings with subjects from the 17th or 18th century, normally depicting a merry colourful past.

Marble Past

Spring (1894) by the Dutch born British painter Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadelma (1836-1912).

One of the typical idyllic simulations of old Rome by Alma-Tadelma. All is splendid marble, colourful flowers, celebrating women and jubilant children. What a time!

Chaos and Disaster

Crossing the Berezina (1866) by the Polish painter January Suchodolski (1797-1875).

Suchodolski shows here no individualistic or even heroic struggle. The battle (if it could be called one) has dissolved in pure chaos and disorder. Impressive are the huge masses of fleeing troops.

Viking Funeral

The Funeral of a Viking (1893) by the British painter Sir Frank Bernard Dicksee (1853-1928).

Dicksee was a typical Victorian painter who exploited historical subjects in a manner which is still considered as Pre-Raphaelite style even though it has absolutely nothing to do with that.

Here he shows a highly dramatic scene where the Vikings are clad in Gallic armor including the stupid horned helmets invented by Wagnerian stage designers. To to me it seems more than stupid to push a longship through the surf.
It is safe to assume that the whole scenery is as false as the costumes, but this didn’t stop the popularity of the work which was used in 1990 as a cover of a heavy metal cd.

Historical Landscape

Landscape with Aeneas at Delos (1672) by the French Baroque painter Claude Lorrain, (1600-1682).

Lorrain was famous above all for his landscape paintings, mostly showing classical architecture and a seaport. He preferred historical subjects, which gave him the reason to paint his beloved classical architecture.