Pair of paintings from the first half of the 18th century, in the style of August Querfurt, which depict two complementary moments in the life of a military camp: one more intimate and "staged", the other more open and landscape-oriented. In both, a warm, brownish hue dominates, with light cutting across the figures and making the horses, tents, and some costume details emerge from the dark, almost nocturnal background.
In the first painting, attention is entirely concentrated on a group in the foreground. A large red tent occupies a significant portion of the composition, and behind it, a yellow tent with a small flag. Soldiers in 17th and 18th-century attire, with capes and wide-brimmed hats, move around. The horses are as much protagonists as the people: a light-colored one stands out in the center, while the figures around seem to be talking and organizing something, likely the next phase of the battle. The overall impression is narrative, almost theatrical, with light guiding the gaze to the tent fabrics, the animals' backs, and the characters' hands.
In the second painting, however, the space opens up. The main tent is positioned more to the side, and the scene breathes, as a landscape appears in the background with a tower or small fortification on an elevation, under a dark and heavy sky, barely illuminated. Here too, there are horses and people, but the atmosphere is more one of respite: some figures appear seated or crouched near their belongings, others are conversing, and everything is arranged to create depth, as if the camp were situated in a larger, barely perceptible environment in the darkness.
Dimensions: with frame 57 x 51 cm, depth 4 cm, without frame 39 x 34 cm
Price: 3600 for the pair
