The Battle
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt
Accession Number
1938-57-799
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Victor Adam’s “The Battle,” created between 1835 and 1840, captures the dramatic energy of early nineteenth-century France through the intimate medium of drawing. Born in 180, Adam worked during a period when French artists frequently turned to military subjects, reflecting both national pride and the lingering memory of the Napoleonic wars. Although the exact medium remains unknown, the work is classified as a drawing, suggesting it may have served as a study or independent exploration of movement and conflict. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this piece arrived through the beq...