Artwork
Cavalry Skirmish
Cavalry Skirmish is a photography by Unknown. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Cavalry Skirmish, attributed to the artist known as 1901_person, dates from around the middle of the eighteenth century. The oil work is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed as an example of martial genre painting from the period.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas captures a turbulent encounter between mounted troops, their uniforms reflecting a bygone military fashion. In the foreground a horseman tumbles from his mount while comrades clash with blades and spears, suggesting the disorder and peril inherent in close‑quarter cavalry combat.
Technique & Style
Executed with a restrained palette, the painting relies on deep, somber tones and strong chiaroscuro to heighten the sense of drama. Loose brushwork in the background blurs the landscape, focusing attention on the violent interaction of figures and conveying the immediacy of the battlefield.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1750, the work entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century. Its attribution to 1901_person aligns it with other contemporary depictions of military subjects, though documentation of the artist’s broader oeuvre remains limited.
Artist & collection
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