Výjav vojny s Turkami

The central part of the plot is situated in the center of the painting and culminates in the battle between a Christian cavalryman on a black horse and an Ottoman swordsman riding a white horse. Their encounter takes place on a hill amidst many fallen soldiers and horses. Behind them, several clearly depicted figures gradually merge in isocephaly. The battle takes place before the walls of a fortress. 

Venetian artist Johann Anton Eismann (1604–1698) is credited with determining the form of northern Italian battle scenes. In order to increase the drama, he shifted the central motif derived from the battle between the main combatants to either side of the painting and frequently left the center empty. It seems that the scenes situated in front of the silhouettes of fortresses with bastions were particularly popular.

Eismann, the founding figure of decorative battle scenes, did not leave any more distinctive influence on Verona artist Antonio Calza, the painter of this work of art. Calza studied with Bologna master Carlo Cignani (1628–1719) and the highly regarded Roman, Jacques Courtois (1621–1676 ?). His original stylizing of elongated shapes identifies and characterizes him as an independent artistic figure. Calza’s work is passionate and tenebrous. 

Calza worked for Eugene of Savoy from 1712 to 1716, after which he returned to Northern Italy. In the years before and after that period he worked in most of the important northern Italian towns.

Zuzana Ludiková ● LUDIKOVÁ, Zuzana - BURAN, Dušan. Talianska maľba = Italian Painting. Bratislava : Slovenská národná galéria, 2013. 242 strán. ISBN 9788080591748.