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an old painting of a military battle with a castle in the background
Jeschke Jádi Auctions Berlin

Estimate €400 - €600
Sale commission
Description
Turkish Wars French, 19th century Scene of a siege. First half of the 19th century. Watercolour on vellum. 27.3 x 35.7 cm. Mounted in the passe-partout at the top corners. The sheet depicts the storming of an Ottoman fortress – recognisable by the turban-wearing defenders on the ramparts and the European attackers in dark uniforms with bicorne hats, scaling the ramparts via assault ladders. The composition, with the many fallen soldiers in the foreground, the mounted officer in the centre of the picture and the burning bastions in the background, is typical of depictions of the Russo-Turkish Wars of the late 18th century, in particular the sieges of Ismail (1790) or Ochakov (1788). These events were of great significance to the European public: The storming of Ismail under Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov on 22 December 1790 is regarded as one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th century – the Ottoman garrison lost around 26,000 men, and the fortress had previously been considered impregnable. Scenes such as these were frequently commissioned in Europe for Empress Catherine II, who wished to see her military successes against the Ottoman Empire documented in pictures. Stylistically and thematically, the painting fits very well with the oeuvre of Francesco Giuseppe Casanova (1727–1803), the brother of the famous Giacomo Casanova. He was Catherine II’s favoured battle painter and created several compositions on precisely these themes, including ‘The Capture of Ismail’ (c. 1791) and depictions of the siege of Ochakov – both executed in a similar watercolour/wash technique featuring chaotic close-quarters combat scenes, fallen corpses in the foreground and assault ladders against the fortress walls. Casanova had trained under battle painters such as Francesco Simonini and Charles Parrocel and worked for a time in Vienna for the Prince de Ligne before creating numerous works for the Russian imperial collection – many of which are now in the Hermitage. Other military painters, such as Mikhail Ivanov, who produced sketches of the storming of Ismail as an eyewitness, or artists from the wider circle such as January Suchodolski (depictions of Ochakov), are also possible candidates for the artist’s identity. Russo-Turkish War. – Watercolour on vellum. Mounted in the upper corners of the passe-partout. January Suchodolski (depictions of Ochakov) are also possible creators. However, a physical examination would be necessary for a reliable attribution: paper, watermark, signature (if present) and comparison with confirmed works – such as those in the collections of the Hermitage or the Russian Museum, which hold several comparable works depicting Ismail and Ochakov. Should you wish to include the work in an auction at Jeschke Jádi, the most obvious next step would be to compare it with Casanova’s documented gouaches from the Catherine the Great series. Translate into English: The sheet depicts the storming of an Ottoman fortress – recognisable by the turban-wearing defenders on the ramparts and the European attackers in dark uniforms with bicorn hats, scaling the ramparts via assault ladders. The composition, with the many fallen soldiers in the foreground, the mounted officer in the centre of the picture and the burning bastions in the background, is typical of depictions of the Russo-Turkish Wars of the late 18th century, in particular the sieges of Ismail (1790) or Ochakov (1788). These events were of great significance to the European public: The storming of Ismail under Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov on 22 December 1790 is regarded as one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th century – the Ottoman garrison lost around 26,000 men, and the fortress had previously been considered impregnable. Scenes such as these were frequently produced in Europe as commissioned works for Empress Catherine II, who wished to see her military successes against the Ottoman Empire documented in pictures. Stylistically and thematically, the painting fits very well with the oeuvre of Francesco Giuseppe Casanova (1727–1803), the brother of the famous Giacomo Casanova. He was Catherine II’s favoured battle painter and created several compositions on precisely these themes, including ‘The Capture of Ismail’ (c. 1791) and depictions of the siege of Ochakov – both executed in a similar watercolour/wash technique featuring chaotic close-quarters combat scenes, fallen corpses in the foreground and assault ladders against the fortress walls. Casanova had trained under battle painters such as Francesco Simonini and Charles Parrocel and worked for a time in Vienna for the Prince de Ligne before creating numerous works for the Russian Imperial Collection – many of which are now in the Hermitage. Other military painters, such as Mikhail Ivanov, who produced sketches of the storming of Ismail as an eyewitness, or artists from the wider circle such as January Suchodolski (depictions of Ochakov), are also possible candidates for the artist’s identity. The sheet depicts the storming of an Ottoman fortress – identifiable by the turbaned defenders on the wall and the European attackers in dark uniforms with bicorne hats climbing the ramparts via storming ladders. The composition, featuring numerous fallen figures in the foreground, a mounted officer at the centre of the image, and burning bastions in the background, is typical of depictions of the Russo-Turkish Wars of the late 18th century, particularly the sieges of Ismail (1790) and Ochakov (1788). These events were of great significance to the European public: the storming of Ismail under Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov on 22 December 1790, is regarded as one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th century – the Ottoman garrison lost around 26,000 men, and the fortress had previously been considered impregnable. Such scenes were frequently commissioned in Europe for Empress Catherine II, who wished to have her military successes against the Ottoman Empire documented in pictorial form. Stylistically and thematically, the sheet fits very well into the oeuvre of Francesco Giuseppe Casanova (1727–1803), brother of the famous Giacomo Casanova. He was Catherine II’s preferred battle painter and created several compositions on precisely these subjects, including ‘The Capture of Ismail’ (c. 1791) and depictions of the Siege of Ochakov – both executed in a similar watercolour/wash technique, featuring chaotic close-quarters combat scenes, fallen bodies in the foreground, and assault ladders against the fortress walls. Casanova had trained under battle painters such as Francesco Simonini and Charles Parrocel and worked for a time in Vienna for the Prince of Ligne, before creating numerous works for the Russian imperial collection – many of which are now held in the Hermitage. Other military painters, such as Mikhail Ivanov, who produced sketches as an eyewitness to the storming of Ismail, or artists from his circle such as January Suchodolski (depictions of Ochakov), are also possible candidates for authorship. This lot is subject to standard tax. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to standard taxation. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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