The Arts of War

1881

Not on view

Two young men are shown here being fitted with greaves, armor that protects the lower leg. The print is based on a group from a large fresco that Leighton painted at the new South Kensington Museum (now Victoria and Albert Museum) in London, titled "The Industrial Arts as Applied to War" (1868–70). The large arched composition shows groups of men and women on steps that lead to the fortified gate of an Italian hill-town, and broadly echoes Raphael's "School of Athens." Leighton includes many details of rich Renaissance-style costume and contrasts these with the functional, hard-edged armor that the soldiers try on.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: The Arts of War
Etcher: Achille-Isidore Gilbert (French, Paris 1828–1899 Paris)
Artist: After Frederic, Lord Leighton (British, Scarborough 1830–1896 London)
Publisher: Knoedler and Co.
Publisher: British and Foreign Artists' Association (London)
Publisher: The Printsellers' Association, London (British, established 1847)
Date: 1881
Medium: Etching on chine collé, printed in brown ink; proof
Dimensions: Chine collé: 12 1/2 × 9 3/8 in. (31.8 × 23.8 cm)
Sheet: 17 5/16 × 14 1/16 in. (44 × 35.7 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Herman H. Lowenstein, 1973
Object Number: 1973.630.8
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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