Artwork Information

The swirling chaos and absence of particular heroes suggests that Rosa intended to represent an allegory on the destructive nature of war, with men attacking each other with the ferocity of wild beasts. A precedent for cavalry battles such as these can be found in Leonardo da Vinci's Battle of Anghiari, both in the tangle of horses and soldiers and in the facial expressions contorted by conflict. One of Rosa's most famous battle scenes, acquired by Louis XIV, can be seen in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.