Battle of Smolensk on 5 (17) August 1812

The painting focuses on Russian commanders during the battle's turmoil, notably depicting Barclay de Tolly seated near a tree, alongside Aleksey Yermolov and Matvei Platov. The scene conveys the commanders' presence amidst the chaos, with the burning Old City of Smolensk visible across the River Dnieper, symbolizing the battle's intensity and consequences.

As an oil painting, the work leverages the medium's expressive capabilities to convey the drama of the battle. Hess's composition balances the foreground's figurative detail with the distant, smoke-shrouded landscape, achieving a sense of depth and narrative layering.

Created in 1846 as part of a series on the 1812 invasion, the painting is now part of the State Hermitage Museum's collection in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The painting was produced over three decades after the battle, reflecting a mid-19th-century interest in historical commemoration of the Napoleonic Wars. Its creation and subject matter align with the era's patriotic and historical art movements in Europe.

While not widely discussed in broad art historical narratives outside of its historical subject matter, the painting remains significant within the Hermitage's collections for its detailed depiction of a crucial event in the French Invasion of Russia.