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Battle of Turks

Johann Wilhelm Baur

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-1019
Author: Johann Wilhelm Baur
Name: Battle of Turks
Date of creation: 1637
Country: Germany
Technique: etching
Material: paper
Dimensions: 10.7 x 14.2 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Genre: battle painting
Plot: Battle
Provenance: Lviv Historical Museum

Information about author

Author: Johann Wilhelm Baur
Author in the original: Jonann Wilhelm Baur
Artist's lifetime: 1607–1640
Country: Germany
Biography: Johann Wilhelm Baur was a leading German engraver and miniature painter of the first half of the 17th century. He began his studies in Strasbourg in the workshop of the German printmaker and draftsman Friedrich Brentel. However, his activities during this period remain little known. The artist gained fame after a trip to Italy, where he most likely arrived in 1626. It is assumed that Baur settled in Rome, where he worked for Paolo Giordano II Orsini. Nevertheless, his first dated work – "Landscape with Vesuvius" – was executed in 1631, during his stay in Naples between 1631 and 1633. He later returned to Rome and executed some of his most successful graphic series. The artist moved to Vienna in 1637. Although Baur also worked as a painter, he became known primarily as a graphic artist who specialised in architectural landscapes, genre street scenes and battle pieces. In his works, he skilfully combined the styles of the French printmaker Jacques Callot and the Florentine Stefano della Bella, with whom Baur was personally acquainted.

Object description

"The Battle of the Turks" depicts a rapid attack by Turkish cavalry. Several figures of Turkish horsemen galloping into battle stand out against the background of dark silhouettes of figures. One of them, depicted in the centre of the composition and armed with a sword and a shield, is looking back. The weapons of the dead soldiers are scattered over the ground. The body of a dead Turkish soldier can be seen on the left. Johann Wilhelm Baur skilfully captured the dynamism of movement in this composition, which is enhanced by the contrast of the light figures of the riders on the dark background. The engraving is part of "Battaglie di varie nazione" ("The Battles of Various Nations") series, which consisted of 13 sheets and was published in 1637.

Inscriptions

At the top centre, there is the inscription: "Bataglia Turcha". At the bottom right is the inscription "J.W. Baur In".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery