Historical Genre Painting

Proclamation of an Edikt in Venice (1891) by the French artist Jacques Clement Wagrez (1846-1908). Wagrez specialized in historical genre paintings mostly settled in the Italian renaissance. They are well done, but mostly without any further intention that to be a nice piece of decoration.

A National Saint

Joan of Arc's Death at the Stake (1843) by the German Romantic painter Hermann Anton Stilke (1803-1860). Stilke was a member of the very religious Nazarene movement and depicted here Joan of Arc in the style of a religious saint painting. To emphasize this intention the painting was part of a bigger Joan of Arc Triptych.

A Dark Hour

The Execution of Torrijos and his companions at Málaga Beach (1888) by the Spanish painter Antonio Gisbert Pérez (1835-1902). Gisbert Pérez was a convinced liberal and depicted here the tragical end of a liberal revolution in 1831. Another forfeited chance to modernize his country.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.