Artwork
Massacre des Mameluks Rebelles dans le Château de Caire
Massacre des Mameluks Rebelles dans le Château de Caire is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Horace Vernet. It dates from 1818 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Massacre des Mameluks Rebelles dans le Château de Caire is a 1818 lithograph on wove paper by French artist Horace Vernet, capturing a violent clash of Mamluk rebels within Cairo's citadel.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a chaotic scene of conflict and destruction in the Cairo citadel, juxtaposing a serene central figure smoking a hookah amidst turmoil, highlighting contrasts of calm and chaos.
Technique & Style
Vernet employed bold lines and vivid colors in the lithograph, characteristic of his Orientalist and battle-scene repertoire, conveying tension and turmoil through visual composition.
History & Provenance
Created in 1818, the work reflects Vernet's interest in Orientalist themes and historical events, though specific provenance details are not provided.
Context
The scene is set against the backdrop of a cityscape with a dominant stone structure and tower, evoking the Cairo citadel's setting, with smoke indicating broader conflict.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Émile Jean-Horace Vernet (French pronunciation: ; 30 June 1789 – 17 January 1863), better known as Horace Vernet, was a French painter of battles, portraits, and Orientalist subjects.
Bertel Thorvaldsen (1768–1844) with the Bust of Horace Vernet
Portrait of a Mameluke, said to be Roustam Raza
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Jean-Louis-André-Théodore Gericault (1791–1824)
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