Spanish school; second half of the 18th century.... Lot n° 43

Spanish school; second half of the 18th century. "Siege". Oil on canvas. Relined. Presents twentieth century frame, imitating models of the seventeenth century. It has faults in the frame. Measurements: 103 x 129 cm; 122,5 x 148 cm (frame). Oil on canvas in which the author represents a battle scene. It is the capture of one of the most critical moments of the fight, so it is a violent, expressive and chaotic image. In the foreground and located in the center of the composition the author shows several fallen, of which highlights the presence of the horse, which can not get up and the man who is on the right that is erect, raising his weapon to wound another fighter who is on the ground. In a shot after the main action, we can observe the cavalry corps fighting avidly among them and finally the silhouette of a city that shines with the red flames that envelop it. As already mentioned, the author conceives a scene configured in several planes, where he combines the landscape with an architectural structure in the foreground, which is not fully covered by the viewer, who only sees part of the construction, located in the right area. This type of paintings of battles, were very frequent in Spain, being born the tradition in the baroque and continuing until well into the nineteenth century. Its purpose of double character, resided in informing in a documentary way on the produced confrontations and also as exaltation and political glorification. These two precepts came together at a time when Spain was suffering a great economic crisis, caused by the weak reigns of the monarchs, who faced a great number of war conflicts that weakened the country.