Artwork
Die Schrecken des Krieges
Die Schrecken des Krieges is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini. It dates from 1708 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1708 by Venetian painter Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, *Die Schrecken des Krieges* is an oil work now housed in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek. Executed during the early Rococo era, the canvas presents a tumultuous battlefield scene that conveys the chaos and suffering of war through a crowded composition of figures in varied, dramatic poses.
Subject & Meaning
The foreground centers on a distressed woman clutching an infant, while a nearby figure appears to be falling or being dragged away, emphasizing personal loss amid collective violence. Throughout the composition, numerous bodies in motion suggest a broader narrative of upheaval, underscoring the painting’s focus on the human cost of conflict rather than heroic triumph.
Technique & Style
Pellegrini combines the compositional clarity of the Renaissance with the vigorous brushwork and dramatic chiaroscuro of the Baroque, producing a dynamic sense of depth. Contrasting light and shadow heighten tension, while the fluid arrangement of figures creates a sense of movement that anticipates the lighter, more decorative tendencies of later Rococo painters.
History & Provenance
A prominent history painter of the early eighteenth century, Pellegrini worked on major commissions across Europe, gaining a reputation that later influenced Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. *Die Schrecken des Krieges* entered the Alte Pinakothek collection, where it remains a representative example of his expressive style and his role in the transition from Baroque to Rococo.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (29 April 1675 – 2 or 5 November 1741) was one of the leading Venetian history painters of the early 18th century.
Bacchus and Ariadne
Ceres, Bacchus and Cupid
Rettung des hl. Sebastian durch Irene
The Continence of Scipio
Allegorie auf den Tod einer Fürstin
Allegorie: Ein alter Mann ergreift das Szepter
Begrüßung der Kurfürstin Maria Luisa von Toskana
Allegorie der Befreiung vom Joch des Islam (Frieden und Glück unter Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz)
Befreiung der Andromeda
Enthauptung Johannes des Täufers
Bethlehemitischer Kindermord
Das Bad der Diana
Opferung der Iphigenie
Verherrlichung des Lammes
Christus als Überwinder
Apollo tötet die Kinder der Niobe
The Sacrifice of Iphigenia
Martyrdom of Saint Marta
Einzug des Kurfürsten Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz