Antonio Calza (Verona, 1653 – Verona 1725) - Battle between Christian and Turkish Cavalry
Oil on canvas (47 x 85 cm - Framed 66 x 105 cm)
Full details (click HERE)
Here we see an exciting battle between Christian and Turkish cavalry characterized by a strong dynamism and expressive force; the two sides are in the midst of the clash, while on the ground are lifeless bodies and wounded horses, as well as scattered weapons and a drum that enhance the drama of the clash.
These elements, combined with the intense chromatic range, attentive to the light conditions, and the decisive and dramatic brushstroke, suggest the attribution to Antonio Calza (Verona, 1653 – April 18, 1725), one of the most influential battle painters of the 17th. century.
In Rome he became a pupil and then among the best followers of Jacques Courtois il Borgognone (Saint-Hyppolite 1621 – Rome 1676), between the end of the 17th and the first quarter of the 18th century; while assimilating the teaching of the master, however, he was able to develop a personal style, based mainly on the unmistakable dynamic development of the narration and on the lively and bright chromatism, characterized by bright reds and blues.
Although in smaller dimensions, we can find the stylistic characters peculiar to Calza's painting in the work in question, in particular figures and details recurring in his battles and which can be implicitly considered as his signature.
In this regard, it is easy to compare the proposed painting with those of his pictorial corpus, collected by Giancarlo Sestieri in the essay 'Battle painters, Italian and foreign masters of the 17th and 18th centuries', among which we have selected some works that we report below (the relative illustrations are shown in the details):
- Battle with trumpeter and drummer, cm. 97x124.5, Verona Museo di Castelvecchio
- Battle between Christians and Turks in front of a fortress, Rome, Antique Market of the 1940s
- Clash of knights with armor, cm. 65 x 81. Venice, Private collection
- Battle of Christian and Turkish cavalries in front of a square tower, cm. 80 x 103. Bergamo, Private collection
- Battle between Christian and Turkish cavalries, cm. 93 x 122.5. Ljubljana, Narodna Galerija
- Battle between Christians and Turks in front of a city in flames, cm. 99 x 128. Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum
Among the typical elements, certainly significant are the frequent towers that help to set the compositions and which, together with clouds and black smoke, create a sort of scenic presence around the space of the clash.
The painter often introduces a horse on the ground, of which we only see the rear part, an expedient to involve the observer making him/her become active and participate in the scene. Likewise, the lifeless fallen bodies that the painter depicts in the foreground are often positioned lying forward with their heads facing the viewer.
Finally, a detail present in many of Calza's canvases is a drum, placed in the foreground, overturned and abandoned.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Good condition, complete with gilded frame.
The work is sold complete with certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic sheet.
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