Artwork
Scene from the Ten Days' Campaign against the Belgian Revolt, August 1831
Scene from the Ten Days' Campaign against the Belgian Revolt, August 1831 is an oil painting by Wouterus Verschuur. It dates from 1831 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a work of history painting, the composition centers on soldiers and horses engaged in the military conflict of that period.
The painting depicts a specific episode from the Ten Days' Campaign against the Belgian Revolt in August 1831. As a work of history painting, the composition centers on soldiers and horses engaged in the military conflict of that period. The imagery captures the immediate chaos and action of the campaign, focusing on the figures of the combatants and their mounts rather than a broader landscape or allegorical scene.
By recording this event in oil on canvas, the artist documents a significant moment in the struggle between Dutch forces and the Belgian rebels, preserving the visual memory of the soldiers' experience during the invasion.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a medium typical of Dutch history painting of the period. The handling shows a smooth, detailed finish with careful modeling of figures and horses, consistent with academic training. The composition centers on a mounted officer directing troops, rendered with precise anatomy and lively movement.
The work’s formal qualities emphasize narrative clarity and dramatic staging, using a subdued palette with touches of red in uniforms to focus attention. Brushwork remains restrained, prioritizing descriptive accuracy over visible impasto or textural effects.
History & Provenance
Scene from the Ten Days' Campaign against the Belgian Revolt, August 1831, painted by Wouterus Verschuur in 1831, is classified as a history painting. The work was created using oil paint on canvas, measures 56 cm in height and 71 cm in width, and depicts a horse and a soldier. It is held in the collections of the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Museum, reflecting its provenance through these institutions. The painting's inception dates to 1831, consistent with its historical subject and creation period.
Overview
Wouterus Verschuur’s 1831 oil on canvas, titled Scene from the Ten Days’ Campaign against the Belgian Revolt, August 1831, belongs to the history painting tradition. Executed the same year as the events it depicts, the work records a moment from the Dutch military operation that sought to suppress the Belgian uprising. The composition combines a bustling village setting with a mixture of mounted and foot soldiers, offering a narrative snapshot of the campaign.
Context
The Ten Days’ Campaign (August 1831) was a brief Dutch offensive aimed at re‑asserting control over the newly declared Belgian state. Verschuur’s depiction situates the conflict within a civilian setting, contrasting the orderly presence of soldiers with the ordinary village life surrounding them. This juxtaposition mirrors the period’s preoccupation with the impact of warfare on everyday society and the nation’s struggle for identity.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Wouterus Verschuur (11 June 1812 – 4 July 1874) was a Dutch painter of animal subjects – mainly horses – and of landscapes. He is one of the later representatives of Romanticism in Dutch art.
Die Schmiede an der Heeresstraße
Drawing the Eel
On the Dniester River
Insurgents of 1863
Inspection of the 14th Regiment of Cuirassiers of the Duchy of Warsaw
De requisitie
The Riding School
Reiterkavalkade mit Hunden
Et sjællandsk hestemarked
A View of the Inn, Baldoyle
Landscape with Horsemen Resting outside an Inn- Scene from the Ten Days' Campaign against the Belgian Revolt, August 1831
