Artwork
Conquest of a Town
Conquest of a Town is an ink drawing by Altichiero da Zevio. It dates from 1380 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:by early 16th-century hand, across top of album sheet in brown ink: di maestro altichiero qual dipinse la Sala de podesta
About this work
Overview
Conquest of a Town is a pen and brown‑ink drawing with a brown wash on laid paper, mounted on a pale‑blue album sheet. Executed by the Italian painter Altichiero da Zevio around 1380, the work records a turbulent assault on an urban settlement, rendered in a rapid, sketch‑like manner that emphasizes movement over detail.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a chaotic siege: soldiers scale a ladder toward a tower capped by a rounded roof, while combatants clash near a tall column crowned with a flame. On a raised platform, robed observers watch the violence from a distance, creating a visual contrast between active combat and detached spectatorship that may allude to the role of clergy or officials during warfare.
Technique & Style
Altichiero employs simple, gestural lines and cross‑hatching to suggest depth and texture, while the brown wash unifies the scene with a muted tonal range. The quick execution and minimal detailing reflect a preparatory study rather than a finished narrative panel, highlighting the artist’s skill in conveying complex action with economical means.
History & Provenance
The drawing originates from the late fourteenth century, a period when Altichiero was active in Padua and Verona. It is mounted on its original pale‑blue album sheet, indicating it may have been part of a personal collection of sketches or a workshop reference book, though its subsequent ownership history remains undocumented.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
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