Jacques Courtois, called "Bourguignon", 1621 Saint-Hippolyte - 1676 Rome, train.

BATTLE IN FRONT OF A FORTRESS
Oil on canvas. Doubled.
85 x 100 cm.
Frame with plaque naming Salvatore Rosa.
In a wide frame with ornamental relief.

The attribution to Courtois can certainly be qualified with regard to his teacher Salvatore Rosa (1615 - 1673), who, as here, devoted himself far more to general, no longer definable battle themes. The present depiction should therefore be regarded as timeless. His name is also mentioned on the engraved artist's plaque on the frame. On a hill, a dense turmoil of battle culminates in a dark crowd under a column of smoke. On the left in the middle ground is a fortress tower, on the right in the background a gentle hill, which can also be seen as a compositional counterweight to the tumultuous events in the foreground.

Literature:
Cf. Giancarlo Sestieri, I Pittori di Battaglie. Maestri italiani e stranieri del XVII e XVIII secolo, Rome 1999. (1411161) (13)