A Queen in Chains

Zenobia’s Last Look on Palmyra by the British painter Herbert Gustave Carmichael Schmalz (1856-1935). Zenobia (240 – c. 275) was the Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Roman Syria, who led a famous revolt against the Roman Empire. She ruled over Egypt until 274, when she was defeated and taken as a hostage to Rome by Emperor Aurelian.

One Brave Man

The_Agitator_of_Languedoc by the French painter Jean-Paul Laurens (1838-1921). Laurens shows here Bernard Délicieux was a Franciscan friar who resisted the Inquisition in Carcassonne and Languedoc in southern France. At last he was put on trial because of obstructing the Inquisition tortured and sentenced to life in prison in solitary confinement.

Religios fanatism was one of the great subjects of Laurens.

A King Defeated

Henry III, the King Who Lost His Common Sense by the Italian artist Fortunino Matania (1881-1963). Matania is best known for his realistic portrayal of World War I trench warfare, but did also a lot of illustrations for history books. Here he depicts hiw king Henry III is taken prisoner at the battle of Lewes in 1264.

Moonlight

A Reconnaissance (1902) by the American painter Frederic Remington (1861-1909). The title suggests a military task but it seems that the two men are watching the stars. So it seems that the real adventure here is more nature.

Heroic Defense

The Hospitalier Maréchal Guillaume de Clermont defending the walls at the Siege of Acre, 1291, by The French painter Dominique Papety (1815–49). The painting forms part of the over 120 paintings in The Salle des Croisades in the Palace of Versailles. The rooms were created in the mid-19th century by king Louis-Philippe, and opened in 1843, at a time when France was seized with enthusiasm with its historical past, and especially the Crusades period.

Cruel Tradition

Druids offering human sacrifices by the French artist Alphonse de Neuville (1835-1885). This book illustration was done for Guizot's History of France. Neuville studied under Eugène Delacroix and was one of the most famous illustrators of his time.

Lost Liberty

Martha the Mayoress by the Russian painter Alexey Kivshenko (1851-1895). Martha the Mayoress, was the widow of Novgorod's mayor. According to legend and historical tradition, she led the republic's struggle against Muscovy between her husband's death and the city's eventual annexation by Ivan III of Russia in 1478. After the defeat Martha was escorted to Moscow with the veche bell the symbol of Novgorod's liberty.

Romantic Death

The Death of Josselin by the Italian painter Massimo Taparelli, marquis d'Azeglio (1798-1866). A legendary crusader is dying in a beautiful exotic land. The landscape is pure fantasy only the palm tree indicates that all this is happening somewhere far far away.

Battle Choreography

The Battle of the Lech in 955 by the German painter Michael Echter (1812-1879). To paint as much brave German warriors as possible and to achieve the popular pyramidal choreography Echter put the foot soldiers ahead of the attacking knights which no partly clever commander would have done.

Spoils of War

Cromwell in the Battle of Naseby in 1645 (1851) by the English painter Charles Landseer (1799-1879). Lanseer depicted here not the battle action but the victors and the spoils. In front there is a dead women a hint to the over 100 women camp-followers the parliamentarian troops also hacked to death believing they were Irish.

A Wild Bunch

Lisowczycy by the Polish painter Juliusz Fortunat Kossak (1824-1899). The Lisowczycy were a irregular unit of Polish–Lithuanian light cavalry in the 17th-century . The Lisowczycy took part in many battles across Europe and the historical accounts of the period characterized them as extremely agile, warlike, and bloodthirsty. Their numbers varied with time, from a few hundreds to several thousands. The fought first in Polish wars and later as mercenaries in the Thirty Years War.

A Meditative Genius

Michelangelo Visited in His Studio by Pope Julius II (1859) by the French painter Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889). Here the great genius contemplating his impressive statues visited by the most important patron of arts. What would Cabanel say with that?