Artwork

Combate heroico en el púlpito de la iglesia de San Agustín de Zaragoza en el segundo sitio de 1809

Combate heroico en el púlpito de la iglesia de San Agustín de Zaragoza en el segundo sitio de 1809 is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist César Álvarez Dumont. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting portrays a heroic struggle against fire within the interior of San Agustín Church in Zaragoza during the 1809 siege, emphasizing divine protection and patriotic valor. The depicted flames and the presence of a firearm symbolize both the literal threat of fire and the broader conflict of the Peninsular War, reflecting themes of resistance and sacrifice.

Technique & Style

The use of oil paint on canvas allows for the detailed rendering of the chaotic battle and architectural setting characteristic of the artist's style.

Created in 1887, Combate heroico en el púlpito de la iglesia de San Agustín de Zaragoza en el segundo sitio de 1809 is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 448 cm in height and 378 cm in width, indicating a large-scale composition typical of historical narrative art. Painted by César Álvarez Dumont, the piece depicts a dramatic scene involving firearms within St. Augustine's Church during the 1809 siege of Zaragoza.

The use of oil paint on canvas allows for the detailed rendering of the chaotic battle and architectural setting characteristic of the artist's style.

History & Provenance

The painting Combate heroico en el púlpito de la iglesia de San Agustín de Zaragoza en el segundo sitio de 1809 was commissioned as an oil work in 1887 by the Museo del Prado, where it remains in its collection today. Executed by César Álvarez Dumont, the canvas measures 448 cm by 378 cm and portrays a dramatic scene of fire and St. Augustine's Church during the second siege of Zaragoza in 1809. Its creation history is tied to the artist's late‑19th‑century activity, and the work has been exhibited at the Prado since its acquisition.

The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, as recorded in its institutional and Wikidata records. Created in 1887 by César Álvarez Dumont, the work entered the museum's holdings as an oil on canvas measuring 448 cm in height by 378 cm in width. The sources do not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they document any exhibition history, loans, or prior display venues separate from its current location at the Prado.

Legacy

The painting Combate heroico en el púlpito de la iglesia de San Agustín de Zaragoza en el segundo sitio de 1809 by César Álvarez Dumont, created in 1887, entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is catalogued as part of the museum's holdings. Its presence in a major national institution has contributed to scholarly attention on Álvarez Dumont's oeuvre and the broader representation of historical events in Spanish academic art.

The work is documented in the Museo del Prado's collection database and has been referenced in studies of 19th‑century Spanish religious painting, underscoring its role in discussions of artistic responses to the Peninsular War.

Overview

Combate heroico en el púlpito de la iglesia de San Agustín de Zaragoza en el segundo sitio de 1809 is an oil painting created by César Álvarez Dumont in 1894. It is currently held at the Museo del Prado.