Artwork
Battle of the Turks
Battle of the Turks is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Jan Pieter van Bredael. It dates from 1717 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a dynamic confrontation between Ottoman and Christian forces, reflecting the broader Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718.
The painting depicts a dynamic confrontation between Ottoman and Christian forces, reflecting the broader Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718. Its composition emphasizes the clash of armies through swirling movement and dramatic contrast, symbolizing the decisive struggle for Central European dominance during the early 18th century. Created by Jan Pieter van Bredael in 1717, the work belongs to the tradition of military history painting, a genre that celebrated contemporary conflicts with heroic realism.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a standard support for 18th-century history painting. It measures 41 cm in height by 53 cm in width, consistent with the dimensions recorded for the work in the Alte Pinakothek's collection. The composition depicts a dynamic engagement during the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718, rendered with characteristic Baroque-era modeling and dramatic chiaroscuro to emphasize movement and conflict.
History & Provenance
Battle of the Turks is a history painting created in 1717 by Jan Pieter van Bredael and commissioned for the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It has been housed in the Alte Pinakothek since its acquisition. The work measures 53 by 41 centimeters and portrays a military engagement from the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718. Its creation date aligns with the year recorded in archival sources.
The painting’s provenance is documented through its inclusion in the Bavarian State Painting Collections, indicating formal ownership and curatorial oversight. Its genre is classified as military art within institutional catalogues, reflecting its thematic focus on conflict.
Battle of the Turks is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is on view at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Its inventory designation within the collection is BStGS 1928. The painting, dated 1717, has been catalogued as a work of military art depicting a battle from the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–1718, and remains part of the museum's holdings of Jan Pieter van Bredael the Younger's oeuvre.
No exhibition history beyond its placement in the Bavarian State Painting Collections is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Jan Pieter van Bredael the Younger created the oil painting Battle of the Turks in 1717. Executed as a history work during the Rococo period, it records a violent episode from the Austro‑Turkish War of 1716–1718. The canvas is held in the collection of Munich’s Alte Pinakothek and measures roughly one and a half metres across.
Context
The work reflects contemporary European fascination with the Habsburg-Ottoman conflicts, a subject frequently rendered in courtly commissions to celebrate military victories. Van Bredael’s focus on cavalry aligns with the period’s emphasis on the spectacle of mounted warfare, while the inclusion of a fortified castle links the scene to the broader geopolitical stakes of the early 18th‑century Balkans.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Pieter van Bredael the Younger or Jan Peeter van Bredael the Younger (27 July 1683 – 1735) was a Flemish painter known for his cavalry battle scenes and landscapes with genre scenes of village festivals and fairs.
