Artillery Shell: War in the Desert
Christian Adolf SCHREYER
(German, 1828-1899 (active France))
Artillery Shell: War in the Desert
Dateca. 1870
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensionsoverall: 39 3/4 x 62 3/4 in. (101 x 159.4 cm)
frame: 46 1/2 x 70 in. (118.1 x 177.8 cm)
ClassificationPAINTINGS
Credit LineSBMA, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John J. Mitchell
Object number1971.1
Subject(s)
- animal
- horse
- men
- war
Collection
- 19th century European
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextCompared favorably to Eugène Delacroix by the critic Théophile Gautier, Schreyer was avidly collected during his lifetime. Like Delacroix, he spent considerable time in exotic locales such as Egypt, Syria, and Algiers. The subject of this painting, while partly inspired by his exposure to Bedouin life, is likely also based on his first-hand experience of the Crimean War, which he was invited to record by the brother-in-law of Emperor Franz Joseph. Schreyer depicts an Arabian horse rearing up in panic at the impact of a grenade, nearly unseating his Bedouin rider. His expressive brushwork, bold use of color, and fascination with heightened emotional states are typical of Romanticism.
