The Defence of Rhodes by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem 1844

Gustaf Wappers painted "The Defence of Rhodes by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem" using oil on canvas. The eye is immediately drawn to the turmoil of battle in the foreground, where the knights, illuminated against the shadowed archway, clash with their foes in a dense, chaotic composition. Wappers masterfully uses light to create a semiotic contrast: the bright sky and distant landscape frame the violent struggle, highlighting the formal tension between the epic scale of the historical event and the intimate, brutal reality of combat. The dense arrangement of bodies, weapons, and drapery generates a sense of claustrophobia, drawing the viewer into the heart of the siege. The painting also uses the structure of the composition to reinforce ideological themes, the defenders emerge out of the darkness. The painting's dramatic use of light and shadow, combined with its crowded and dynamic composition, serves not only to depict a historical event but also to construct a powerful narrative about conflict and resistance.