More Art Zones
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The painting of historical subjects was already common in Antiquity ('The Battle of Alexander') and it was widely practised by Renaissance artists (Uccello, 'The Rout of San Romano'; Titian, 'The Battle of Cadore', 'General del Vasco addressing his soldiers'; Tintoretto, 'The Battle of Zara'; and Leonardo's famous cartoon, since lost, of 'The Battle of Anghiari'). In the 17th century history painting was officially encouraged in Holland for the decoration of the town hall in Amsterdam and historical themes were among the subjects of two of the great painters of the age, Velasquez ('The Surrender of Breda') and Rubens.
Eighteenth-century painters were chiefly drawn to history painting by the desire to excel in the 'grand mander'. Reynolds' least successful works were his historical pictures such as 'Ugolino' and 'Macbeth', and the desire to achieve fame in the heroic field prompted painters like Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley to expend their modest talent on such compositions as 'The Death of Wolfe' and 'The Death of Chatham'. David "Oath of the Horatii", despite its startling effect on the revolutionaries of the day, shows the coldness and theatricality to which history painting had sunk by the beginning of the 19th century.
Fresh life was, however, imparted to the genre by Delacroix who was inspired by the Greek revolt against the Turks and by the French Revolution. His example did not prevent history painting from degenerating as the century wore on into the composition of mere costume pieces, such as Dyce "Baptism of King Ethelbert" and Maclise "Death of Nelson". Yet history painting is not dead; in our own day it has inspired at least one great picture, Picasso "Guernica".
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