Allegorical Battle Scene 17th-18th century

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the tension in this sketch, the way the figures are caught between earthly struggle and divine spectacle. Editor: This is Charles de la Fosse's "Allegorical Battle Scene," and though undated, it exemplifies his Baroque dynamism. Look at the figures—some are writhing, others triumphant. Curator: The cherubs above, bearing what appears to be a clock, seem to suggest time as a character in the battle, an observer or maybe an enforcer. It's a heavy symbol. Editor: Or perhaps, it speaks to the political climate of the time; France's perception of time during an endless series of wars with shifting alliances. Do you think that's reaching too far? Curator: Not at all. The way La Fosse renders the figures—the hero on horseback and the desperate crowd—suggests a powerful narrative about the costs and perhaps fleeting rewards of earthly power. Editor: It's fascinating to see how he layers these symbolic elements and historical echoes together in what is, essentially, a study. There is a raw directness to this drawing.