Lot 22: GEORG PERLBERG

GEORG PERLBERG GERMAN 1807 - 1884 BATTLE SCENE FROM THE GREEK WAR OF INDEPENDENCE signed lower centre oil on canvas 58 by 72 cm., 22¾ by 28½in.

Acquired by the father of the present owner in Nuremberg circa 1928; thence by descent

In this dramatic and richly finished work, Perlberg presents the viewer with a wealth of details, from the thick smoke at the centre to the still-life at the lower right, and, most poignantly of all, the raised Greek flag on the Acropolis in the distance. With the soldiers composed in a curve from the left-distance to the extreme-right, the work presents the sort of clear, legible narrative that is the hallmark of academic history painting: in this case the triumph of the Greeks over the Ottomans. Perlberg contrasts the white horses and uniforms of the Greeks with the darker colours of the Ottomans, including their eastern camels. The presence of a faceless Greek soldier fallen in battle in the foreground serves to underline the soldiers' sacrifice. All underlines the steely determination of the Greeks as against the fleeing Ottomans, while the setting of the scene implies what is at stake: nothing less than the ancient cultural heritage of Greece, and the independence of the Greek nation.

Brother of Christian Perlberg, a renowned Nuremberg history painter, Georg Perlberg is known primarily for his genre scenes and landscapes. It is the latter skill which he deploys particularly here, the work exhibiting a strong sense of depth and interest in the play of light on the ruins.