28 - 17th-century Neapolitan school in the style of Aniello FALCONE

17th-century Neapolitan school in the style of Aniello FALCONE Battle scene. Oil on canvas. (re-stretched) 57 x 73.5 cm (frame: 66 x 83 cm) Note: Aniello Falcone (Naples, 1607–1656), nicknamed “the Oracle of Battles,” was one of the leading figures of 17th-century Neapolitan painting. Close to Caravaggio’s naturalism and influenced by the art of Jusepe de Ribera, he profoundly revitalized the battle painting genre by emphasizing the depiction of anonymous combatants, cavalry movements, and the chaos of battle rather than the exploits of great historical figures. His compositions enjoyed considerable success, particularly among the Spanish viceroys of Naples, and influenced painters such as Salvator Rosa, Andrea de Lione, and Domenico Gargiulo, known as Micco Spadaro. Several of his battle scenes are now part of the collections of the Louvre, the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, and the Prado Museum in Madrid. This oil on canvas follows in the tradition of 17th-century Neapolitan battle painting.