COURTOIS; JACQUES
1621 St. Hippolyte - 1675 Rome - attributed

Cavalry Battle. Great Cavalry Battle on a Plain by Italian Town. Oil on canvas. Relined. 87 x 127cm. Framed.

Veros:
Former English label on stretcher

This battle scene reflects influences of the battle paintings by Salvator Rosa. The way figures and landscape are combined in this composition as well as the manner in which the colour was applied seem to follow the style of Rosa. The Corinthian columns towering on the right are partly veiled in thick clouds of smoke. Hand-to-hand combat; a crowd in turmoil; bodies moving up and down and on top of each other on patches of barren ground. A battle fought with fire arms and the subject of the 30 Years War distiguishes this work from Rosa's. For Courtois atmospheric phenomena such as light; flashes of artillery fire; explosions; air blackened by smouldering fires; filthy dust and gun smoke; more and more became important issues. The brushwork effects; especially evident when looking at the original; created with strong brush strokes evoke a highly dynamic disorder. There are downright bundles of fighters on their horses; composed of colours; light and shadows in a way to create a fascinating composition which makes the beholder almost forget the brutality of the horrible battle. The subject could be understood as only a pretext for creatively working with colours and forms. Jacques Courtois is; in our opinion; one of the most important masters of narrative battle scenes and this painting excellently illustrates his skills.
Art trade; Van Ham.