Artwork
Battle of Poitiers, 25 October 732
Battle of Poitiers, 25 October 732 is an oil painting by the French Romanticist artist Charles de Steuben. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The palette relies on earthy ochres and crimsons to heighten the drama of combat, while the brushwork remains relatively smooth, avoiding visible impasto.
The painting employs oil on panel, a medium chosen for its capacity to render fine detail and luminous flesh tones in large-scale history compositions. De Steuben worked on a pulpboard support, a rigid composite then favored for its stability and smooth surface. Handling is academic, with carefully modeled figures and a shallow, stage-like space that directs attention to the central melee.
The palette relies on earthy ochres and crimsons to heighten the drama of combat, while the brushwork remains relatively smooth, avoiding visible impasto. Formal qualities emphasize narrative clarity over atmospheric recession, aligning with early-nineteenth-century conventions for history painting.
History & Provenance
Charles de Steuben created the history painting Battle of Poitiers, 25 October 732 in 1834 within France. Executed in oil paint on pulpboard, the work measures 12.5 by 16.7 units and depicts the Battle of Tours. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under accession number 1916.957.
No specific details regarding the original patron, commissioning body, or the precise chain of ownership prior to its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records.
Charles de Steuben's 1834 oil painting, Battle of Poitiers, 25 October 732, is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio. The work is cataloged under the accession number 1916.957. Created in France, the painting depicts the Battle of Tours and is executed in oil paint on pulpboard.
While the provided sources confirm its current institutional location and inventory identification, they do not contain specific details regarding a chronological exhibition history or past display venues for the artwork.
Legacy
The 1834 oil painting Battle of Poitiers, 25 October 732 by Charles de Steuben is classified as a history painting and was created in France before entering the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. As a 19th‑century history work, it exemplifies the academic genre that shaped visual narratives of medieval conflicts, and its depiction of the Battle of Tours has been referenced in studies of how the era was visualized. The painting’s composition and institutional presence have contributed to the continued scholarly discussion of the battle’s artistic legacy.
Overview
Charles de Steuben's Battle of Poitiers, 25 October 732, painted in oil in 1834, captures a pivotal historical event. This work exemplifies French Romanticism through its dramatic depiction of the 732 conflict, often referred to as the Battle of Tours. The painting is currently housed in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art, representing a significant moment in early medieval European history as interpreted in the 19th century.
Subject & Meaning
The painting vividly portrays the Battle of Tours, a crucial engagement from 732 CE that halted the Umayyad Caliphate's advance into Western Europe. Steuben emphasizes the chaos and intensity of the clash, with a prominent figure on horseback, clad in red and brandishing a flag adorned with a cross. This detail underscores the historical and potentially religious dimensions attributed to the conflict by 19th-century audiences.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Auguste Guillaume Steuben (German: Carl August Wilhelm von Steuben; April 18, 1788 – November 21, 1856), also Charles de Steuben, was a German-born French Romantic painter and lithographer active from the Napoleonic to Second…
