First quarter of the 19th century, Camp scenes

First quarter of the 19th century

Camp scenes

(2) Oil on panel, 24,5 x 33 cm

With frame, 34 x 43 cm

These two small panels depict encampment scenes where soldiers rest or prepare for battle during a military campaign. The settings appear distinct in terms of both landscape and climate: the long coats worn by the troops gathered around the fire to warm themselves suggest the cold season, while the sunny sky, light uniforms, and verdant vegetation of the other panel suggest a milder time of year. The tonal differences, cooler on one side and lighter and warmer on the other, seem to underscore this distinction, which is also evident in the characters' actions: the static nature of the recruits gathered around the bonfire sheltered by the walls of a ruined building contrasts with the bustling activity of the men-at-arms, positioned both in the foreground and in the distance, busy setting up and preparing their bivouacs. One could think of two separate moments but part of the same campaign, to be placed chronologically at the beginning of the nineteenth century and to be identified with one of the campaigns of the French army: the tents, the blue and white of the uniforms, the hats and caps of the soldiers and the bayonets are configured with those used by Napoleon's armies in the wars fought in Europe between 1803 and 1815. Austerlitz (1805), Jena (1806), Wagram (1809), the entire Russian campaign are just some of the possible war scenarios in which the camp scenes depicted here could be placed. The landscape is the undisputed protagonist, although the human figures, sketched with rapid, dense strokes of color, carve out a role that is more than just an extra: the two soldiers lying in the foreground tell of a fleeting carefreeness despite the tragedy and hardships of war, while the man with a bayonet, turned away, makes us pause to reflect on the future that awaits him and his companions. The colors are applied with broader, more textured, and full-bodied brushstrokes in the rendering of the sky and the landscape in general, managing to mix, blend, and even out the overall tone of the composition, in which we can still appreciate the changing colors depending on the level of lighting, the clouds, the smoke, or the type of vegetation.

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