595 - Turkish Wars

Turkish Wars French, 19th century Siege scene. First half of the 19th century. Watercolor on vellum. 27.3 x 35.7 cm. Mounted in the upper corners of the mat. The painting depicts the storming of an Ottoman fortress—identifiable by the turban-wearing defenders on the wall and the European attackers in dark uniforms with bicorne hats, who are scaling the ramparts via assault ladders. The composition—with the many fallen soldiers in the foreground, the mounted officer in the center of the picture, and the burning bastions in the background—is typical of depictions of the Russo-Turkish Wars of the late 18th century, particularly the sieges of Ismail (1790) or Ochakov (1788). These events were of great significance to the European public: The storming of Ismail under Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov on December 22, 1790, is considered one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th century—the Ottoman garrison lost around 26,000 men, and the fortress had previously been considered impregnable. Scenes such as these were frequently produced in Europe as commissioned works for Empress Catherine II, who wished to see her military successes against the Ottoman Empire documented in images. Stylistically and thematically, the painting fits very well within the oeuvre of Francesco Giuseppe Casanova (1727–1803), the brother of the famous Giacomo Casanova. He was Catherine II’s preferred battle painter and created several compositions on precisely these themes, including “The Capture of Ismail” (c. 1791) and depictions of the siege of Ochakov—both executed in a comparable watercolor/wash technique featuring chaotic close-quarters combat scenes, fallen corpses in the foreground, and assault ladders against the fortress walls. Casanova had trained under battle painters such as Francesco Simonini and Charles Parrocel and worked for a time in Vienna for the Prince de Ligne before creating numerous works for the Russian imperial collection—many of which are now in the Hermitage. Other military painters, such as Mikhail Ivanov, who made sketches of the storming of Ismail as an eyewitness, or artists from his circle, such as January Suchodolski (depictions of Ochakov), are also possible candidates for the artist’s identity. Russo-Turkish War. — Watercolor on vellum. Mounted in the upper corners of the passe-partout. January Suchodolski (depictions of Ochakov) is also a possible creator. However, a physical examination would be necessary for a reliable attribution: paper, watermark, signature (if present), and comparison with authenticated works—such as those in the collections of the Hermitage or the Russian Museum, which hold several comparable works depicting Ismail and Ochakov. If you wish to include the work in an auction at Jeschke Jádi, the most obvious next step would be to compare it with Casanova’s documented gouaches from the Catherine the Great series. Translate to English: The sheet depicts the storming of an Ottoman fortress—recognizable by the turban-wearing defenders on the wall and the European attackers in dark uniforms with bicorne hats, who are scaling the ramparts via assault ladders. The composition—with the many fallen soldiers in the foreground, the mounted officer in the center of the image, and the burning bastions in the background—is typical of depictions of the Russo-Turkish Wars of the late 18th century, particularly the sieges of Ismail (1790) or Ochakov (1788). These events were of great significance to the European public: The storming of Ismail under Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov on December 22, 1790, is considered one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th century—the Ottoman garrison lost around 26,000 men, and the fortress had previously been considered impregnable. Scenes such as these were frequently produced in Europe as commissioned works for Empress Catherine II, who wished to see her military successes against the Ottoman Empire documented in pictures. Stylistically and thematically, the painting fits very well within the body of work by Francesco Giuseppe Casanova (1727–1803), the brother of the famous Giacomo Casanova. He was Catherine II’s preferred battle painter and created several compositions on precisely these themes, including “The Capture of Ismail” (c. 1791) and depictions of the siege of Ochakov—both executed in a comparable watercolor/wash technique featuring chaotic close-quarters combat scenes, fallen corpses in the foreground, and assault ladders against the fortress walls. Casanova had trained under battle painters such as Francesco Simonini and Charles Parrocel and worked for a time in Vienna for the Prince de Ligne before creating numerous works for the Russian imperial collection—many of which are now in the Hermitage. Other military painters, such as Mikhail Ivanov, who made sketches of the storming of Ismail as an eyewitness, or artists from his circle, such as January Su