Photos Military Art

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Louis-François Lejeune, who was made a baron de l’Empire in 1810, was a quite extraordinary individual who succeeded in combining a military career with his artistic vocation. He initially studied with Pierre Henri de Valenciennes, a landscape painter, before attending the Ecole royale de peinture in 1789. He subsequently joined the army in 1792, at the age of seventeen. Made aide de camp to Berthier in 1800, he was later promoted to général de brigade, in 1812. He was wounded in battle on numerous occasions and left detailed memoirs of the campaigns he participated in. Over the course of his life he pursued parallel careers: although his military participation came to an end in 1835, he continued to exhibit his paintings until 1845, cementing his reputation as one of the best battle scene painters of the imperial period.

Having served as a topographer for the Dépôt de la Guerre (the cartographic wing of the French army during the Revolutionary period and early nineteenth century), Lejeune took the relief genre and incorporated it into his vast compositions. These works combined a realistic depiction of the battle with accurate observations influenced by his experience working with the maps and military diagrams that he had access to as a military staff member. His Bataille de Marengo met with great success at the Salon of 1801, whilst those depicting the battles of Aboukir and Lodi were equally well received at the 1804 event.

Lejeune submitted his La Bataille des Pyramides to the Salon in 1806. The victory of the French army – which on 21 July 1798 saw General Bonaparte triumph over the Mamluks of Mourad Bey on the plains of Giza – had already entered into legend, reproduced and glorified by some of the greatest artists of the period. Lejeune’s panoramic and narrative interpretation is in stark contrast to Gros’ La Bataille des Pyramides (external link in French), a grandiose work of propaganda constructed around the central figure of Napoleon, the providential hero astride his rearing horse. Lejeune’s battle is presented from a wide perspective, making it easier to depict the formations of the armies and presenting the viewer with a clear understanding of the strategy deployed by Bonaparte. On the south bank of the Nile, the five divisions of the army have adopted a square formation. Each corner is defended by artillery, whilst protected within the square are the cavalry forces and reserve troops. The Mamluks, pushed back to the river by the French army, find themselves bombarded by the French flotilla.

Yet aside from its educational virtues as a demonstration of tactical ingenuity, the composition also consolidates Lejeune’s reputation as one of the great landscape artists, well-versed in the depiction of atmospheric effects. The splendid light that marries sky and desert, the mythical silhouette of the pyramids against the horizon, and the exoticism of the scene and its vegetation all make this painting one of the great works of the Oriental movement.

 

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The Battle of San Romano, 1438-1440--By Paolo Uccelo

 

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The Relief of the Light Brigade, 25th October 1854
Richard Caton Woodville (1856–1927)


Of all British military engagements during the nineteenth century, the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War (1854–1856) remains the most notorious. One of the most spectacular of military disasters, surrounded by controversy as to its cause, the tragic charge of the British light cavalry regiments, the 'gallant 600', along the 'valley of death' under murderous fire from the Russian guns was genuinely heroic.

Contemporary pictures of the Charge are few and they convey little more than a distant view of the action. It was left to the most dramatic exponent of military art in the late-Victorian era, Richard Caton Woodville, to capture the supreme moment of the Charge, when the depleted British troopers finally arrived at the far end of the valley to cross swords with the enemy. Widely reproduced, this is still the most popular image of the event today.

 

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The Thin Red Line was a military action by the British Sutherland Highlanders 93rd Regiment at the Battle of Balaklava on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War.

 

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An artistic rendition of Katyusha launchers firing during the battle of Stalingrad.

 

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The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident occurred on 20 December 1943, when, after a successful bomb run on Bremen, Charles ‘Charlie’ Brown’s B-17 Flying Fortress (named “Ye Olde Pub”) was severely damaged by German fighters. Luftwaffe pilot and ace Franz Stigler had an opportunity to shoot down the crippled bomber, but instead, for humanitarian reasons, decided to allow the crew to fly back to their airfield in England. The two pilots met each other 40 years later after the extensive search by Charlie Brown and the friendship that the two developed lasted until their deaths.

Pilots

2nd Lt. Charlie Brown (a farm boy from West Virginia) was a B-17F pilot with United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)’s 379th Bomber Group stationed at RAF Kimbolton in England. Franz Stigler (a former airline pilot from Bavaria) was a veteran Luftwaffe fighter pilot attached to Jagdgeschwader 27 and at the time had 22 victories to his name and would be eligible for the coveted Knight’s Cross with one more downed enemy aircraft.

Bremen mission

The mission was Brown’s first and targeted a Focke-Wulf aircraft production facility in Bremen.

Bomb run

Brown’s B-17 began its 10-minute bomb run at 27,300 feet with an outside air temperature of minus 60 °C. Before the bomber released its bomb load, accurate anti-aircraft flak shattered the Plexiglas nose, knocked out the number two engine and further damaged the number four engine which was already in questionable condition and had to be throttled back to prevent overspeeding. The damage slowed the bomber and Brown was unable to remain with his formation and fell back as a straggler – a position from which he would come under sustained enemy attacks.

Attacks by fighters

Brown’s straggling B-17 was now attacked by over a dozen enemy fighters (a mixture of Bf-109s and FW-190s) for over 10 minutes. Further damage was sustained including the number three engine which would produce only half power (meaning the aircraft had at worst 40% of its total rated power available). The bomber’s internal oxygen, hydraulic and electrical systems were also damaged. The bomber’s only remaining defensive armament were the two dorsal turret guns and one of three forward-firing nose guns (from eleven available). Most of the crew were now wounded (the tail gunner had been killed) and Brown was wounded in his right shoulder.

Lacking oxygen, Brown lost consciousness, but came round to find the bomber remarkably flying level at around 1000 ft. He regained the controls and began the long flight home in the shattered bomber.

Franz Stigler

Brown’s damaged bomber was spotted by Germans on the ground, including Franz Stigler, who was refueling and rearming at an airfield. He soon took off in his Messerschmitt Bf-109 and quickly caught up with Brown’s plane. Through the damaged bomber’s air frame Stigler was clearly able to see the injured and incapacitated crew. To the American pilot’s surprise, Stigler did not open fire on the crippled bomber. Remembering the words of one of his commanding officers from the Jagdgeschwader 27, Gustav Rödel, during his time fighting in north Africa – “You are fighter pilots first, last, always. If I ever hear of any of you shooting at someone in a parachute, I’ll shoot you myself.” Stigler later commented, “To me, it was just like they were in a parachute. I saw them and I couldn’t shoot them down.”

Twice, Stigler tried to get Brown to land his plane at a German airfield and surrender, or divert to nearby neutral Sweden, where he and his crew would receive medical treatment but be interned and sit out the remainder of the war. Brown refused and flew on. Stigler then flew near Brown’s plane, escorting it until they reached the North Sea and departing with a salute.

Landing

Brown managed to fly the 250 miles across the North Sea and land his plane at RAF Seething, home of the 448th Bomb Group and at the after-flight debriefing informed his officers about how a German pilot had let him go. He was told not to repeat this to the rest of the unit so as not to build any positive sentiment about enemy pilots. Brown commented, “Someone decided you can’t be human and be flying in a German cockpit.” Stigler said nothing of the incident to his commanding officers, knowing that a German pilot who spared the enemy while in combat risked execution.

Lt. Brown went on to complete a combat tour.

Post war and meeting of pilots

After the war, Charlie Brown returned home to West Virginia and went to college, returning to the Air Force in 1949 and serving until 1965. Later, as a State Department Foreign Service Officer, he made numerous trips to Laos and Vietnam. But in 1972, he hung up his government service hat and moved to Miami to become an inventor.

Stigler moved to Canada in 1953 and became a successful businessman.

In 1986, the then retired Colonel Charlie Brown was asked to speak at a combat pilot reunion event called “Gathering of the Eagles”. Someone asked him if he had any memorable missions during World War II. Brown thought for a minute and recalled the story of Stigler’s escort and salute. Afterwards Brown decided he should try to find the unknown German pilot.

After four years of searching vainly for U.S. and West German Air Force records that might shed some light on who the other pilot was, Brown hadn’t come up with much. He then wrote a letter to a combat pilot association newsletter. A few months later, Brown received a letter from Stigler who was living in Canada. “I was the one” it said. When they spoke on the phone, Stigler described his plane, the escort and salute confirming everything Brown needed to hear to know he was the German fighter-pilot involved in the incident.

Between 1990 and 2008, Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler became close friends and remained so until their deaths within several months of each other in 2008.

 

[AudieM249]

The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident occurred on 20 December 1943, when, after a successful bomb run on Bremen, Charles ‘Charlie’ Brown’s B-17 Flying Fortress (named “Ye Olde Pub”) was severely damaged by German fighters. Luftwaffe pilot and ace Franz Stigler had an opportunity to shoot down the crippled bomber, but instead, for humanitarian reasons, decided to allow the crew to fly back to their airfield in England. The two pilots met each other 40 years later after the extensive search by Charlie Brown and the friendship that the two developed lasted until their deaths.

Pilots

2nd Lt. Charlie Brown (a farm boy from West Virginia) was a B-17F pilot with United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)’s 379th Bomber Group stationed at RAF Kimbolton in England. Franz Stigler (a former airline pilot from Bavaria) was a veteran Luftwaffe fighter pilot attached to Jagdgeschwader 27 and at the time had 22 victories to his name and would be eligible for the coveted Knight’s Cross with one more downed enemy aircraft.

Bremen mission

The mission was Brown’s first and targeted a Focke-Wulf aircraft production facility in Bremen.

Bomb run

Brown’s B-17 began its 10-minute bomb run at 27,300 feet with an outside air temperature of minus 60 °C. Before the bomber released its bomb load, accurate anti-aircraft flak shattered the Plexiglas nose, knocked out the number two engine and further damaged the number four engine which was already in questionable condition and had to be throttled back to prevent overspeeding. The damage slowed the bomber and Brown was unable to remain with his formation and fell back as a straggler – a position from which he would come under sustained enemy attacks.

Attacks by fighters

Brown’s straggling B-17 was now attacked by over a dozen enemy fighters (a mixture of Bf-109s and FW-190s) for over 10 minutes. Further damage was sustained including the number three engine which would produce only half power (meaning the aircraft had at worst 40% of its total rated power available). The bomber’s internal oxygen, hydraulic and electrical systems were also damaged. The bomber’s only remaining defensive armament were the two dorsal turret guns and one of three forward-firing nose guns (from eleven available). Most of the crew were now wounded (the tail gunner had been killed) and Brown was wounded in his right shoulder.

Lacking oxygen, Brown lost consciousness, but came round to find the bomber remarkably flying level at around 1000 ft. He regained the controls and began the long flight home in the shattered bomber.

Franz Stigler

Brown’s damaged bomber was spotted by Germans on the ground, including Franz Stigler, who was refueling and rearming at an airfield. He soon took off in his Messerschmitt Bf-109 and quickly caught up with Brown’s plane. Through the damaged bomber’s air frame Stigler was clearly able to see the injured and incapacitated crew. To the American pilot’s surprise, Stigler did not open fire on the crippled bomber. Remembering the words of one of his commanding officers from the Jagdgeschwader 27, Gustav Rödel, during his time fighting in north Africa – “You are fighter pilots first, last, always. If I ever hear of any of you shooting at someone in a parachute, I’ll shoot you myself.” Stigler later commented, “To me, it was just like they were in a parachute. I saw them and I couldn’t shoot them down.”

Twice, Stigler tried to get Brown to land his plane at a German airfield and surrender, or divert to nearby neutral Sweden, where he and his crew would receive medical treatment but be interned and sit out the remainder of the war. Brown refused and flew on. Stigler then flew near Brown’s plane, escorting it until they reached the North Sea and departing with a salute.

Landing

Brown managed to fly the 250 miles across the North Sea and land his plane at RAF Seething, home of the 448th Bomb Group and at the after-flight debriefing informed his officers about how a German pilot had let him go. He was told not to repeat this to the rest of the unit so as not to build any positive sentiment about enemy pilots. Brown commented, “Someone decided you can’t be human and be flying in a German cockpit.” Stigler said nothing of the incident to his commanding officers, knowing that a German pilot who spared the enemy while in combat risked execution.

Lt. Brown went on to complete a combat tour.

Post war and meeting of pilots

After the war, Charlie Brown returned home to West Virginia and went to college, returning to the Air Force in 1949 and serving until 1965. Later, as a State Department Foreign Service Officer, he made numerous trips to Laos and Vietnam. But in 1972, he hung up his government service hat and moved to Miami to become an inventor.

Stigler moved to Canada in 1953 and became a successful businessman.

In 1986, the then retired Colonel Charlie Brown was asked to speak at a combat pilot reunion event called “Gathering of the Eagles”. Someone asked him if he had any memorable missions during World War II. Brown thought for a minute and recalled the story of Stigler’s escort and salute. Afterwards Brown decided he should try to find the unknown German pilot.

After four years of searching vainly for U.S. and West German Air Force records that might shed some light on who the other pilot was, Brown hadn’t come up with much. He then wrote a letter to a combat pilot association newsletter. A few months later, Brown received a letter from Stigler who was living in Canada. “I was the one” it said. When they spoke on the phone, Stigler described his plane, the escort and salute confirming everything Brown needed to hear to know he was the German fighter-pilot involved in the incident.

Between 1990 and 2008, Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler became close friends and remained so until their deaths within several months of each other in 2008.

 

[AudieM249]

Panorama 1453 Fetih Museum - İstanbul

 

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“Describing Lee Teter’s painting Reflections carries two risks. The first is inadequacy. No words can capture it. The second is redundancy. It is possible there is a Vietnam Veteran somewhere who has not seen it and been moved by it, but the likelihood is low, given the large number of prints in circulation. Nothing in the art world, save the Wall the painting depicts, has had the broad impact of Teter’s 1988 work. Nonetheless, a brief description: A man places his hand against the black granite wall. He doesn’t see names on the Wall. He sees faces. He sees a past that never leaves him.
“It was the strangest thing,” Teter said of the moment the image crystallized in his mind, well before the first brush had been dipped into paint. “When I thought of the picture, the hair raised on the back of my neck. I felt it then, and I felt it the whole time I painted it. I knew it would be powerful.”
Teter licensed the rights to VVA Chapter 172 in Cumberland, Maryland. It has been a continuing success and print sales have benefited veterans, their families, and their communities. In 1988, shortly after the painting was completed, Teter took it with his historical artwork to a black powder shoot in Virginia. He remembered the Virginia event being a “re-enactment kind of thing” at which nothing modern was supposed to be seen, but he wanted to show the painting to some friends who were Vietnam veterans.
At a slow moment during the event, he left his tent to get something to eat. When he returned, there was a long line of people standing in front of the tent. Other people were coming out of the tent. They were crying. He could see the tears running down their faces.
“I knew what happened,” he said. “Someone had put out Reflections (the original, not a print). These people coming out of the tent would immediately go and get one or two other people to stand in line, and then they’d wait again so they could see the picture with them. Back then, the black powder field had a lot of Vietnam veterans in it and they loved the painting.”
The veterans asked Teter what he intended to do with the painting. He told them VVA was going to sell prints as a fundraising tool.
“A guy said he wanted one,” Teter said. “Then another guy and another guy. Somebody got a pen and started writing down names and addresses, and before it was done, we’d sold enough prints to pay for the first printing.”
He painted Reflections early in a long, prolific career.

It was only the third oil he painted. He looks at it now, and his eyes goes to technical flaws, things he would have done differently with a more experienced eye. Teter said he has trained himself to look for such flaws in his work and in others. Each flaw corrected, he said, brings him a step closer to perfection.
“Oh, it looks worse from a technical standpoint,” he said. “I should have spent another week and half on it, rounded it more, got a little more depth. I should have used a few glazes that I didn’t do back then.”
The idea for Reflections came to Teter quickly. He settled on the concept right away and began work.
“The impact was immediate, and in fact, I felt the same impact when I was painting it,” he said.
He understood its potential, too. He knew exactly what he had on his hands. In St. Louis last year, when VVA presented him with the prestigious President’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, he was asked a pointed question. “Well, the real question was this: ‘Did you know what you were giving away?’ he said “The answer is ‘yes,’ I knew exactly. But some things shouldn’t be done for money. I thought of the concept and the emotions that American veterans and families had invested in the Vietnam War. I’d make my money somewhere else. I didn’t want to pollute the purity of it by making a lot of money off people’s misery, people’s sorrow, people’s pain and that’s what this picture’s about.”
He marvels that the painting is as popular as it is.
“Let’s face it, it’s a wonder,” he said. “It brings back painful memories for people, and I didn’t want to pollute those memories. I knew what I had. I knew it was worth a million bucks and I didn’t care.”
He said Reflections was unique in his body of work because he paints historical works, and the past is what he calls a “foreign land,” not easily accessible to the viewer today. But, Teter said, this is not so with the people who lived Reflections. Vietnam is not a foreign place in the memories of the millions of men and women and their families and loved ones.
Teter said that much of the impact of Reflections can be attributed to the powerful memories the image evokes.
“The picture is light reflecting off pieces of paint and the canvas,” he said. “That’s the painting. The picture itself is in the mind of the viewer. The art becomes every person. It triggers memories that are very, very personal. While we all see the same image on the canvas, we don’t all see the same picture. The people it truly affects are people who have deeply buried memories, sometimes not so deeply buried. The faces they see are the faces they are familiar with, not the ones in the painting. People aren’t seeing the painting. They’re seeing reflections of their own past. That’s why they cry. It’s not my art. It’s their memories. “
Lee Teter lives modestly in Wyoming. The Owl Creek Mountains and Wind River Mountains are his neighbors. He finds peace there. He paints there. Then sends his work into the world.“When Reflections was done and I took it over to the VVA meeting room, we put a cover on it and then unveiled it and I was surprised,” he said. “I didn’t see it anymore. I’d painted it away. It was gone. I’d given it to the world, and the world is a good place for it.”

Honestly my favorite.

 

[santana]

I Have this in my files, I dont know if a posted here before. ANy way they are really good.

 

[santana]

A few more

 

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The Battle of Montmirail by Emile-Jean-Horace Vernet

 

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The Siege Of Paris In 1870

 

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Paths of Glory is a 1917 painting by British artist Christopher Nevinson.

 

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The Long Green Line--By William S. Phillips

 

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The Battle of Kursk by Sergei Nikolaevich Prisekin

 

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Storm of the Sapun Mountain, Sevastopol, by P. Malcev

 

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An abstracted aerial view of a wide flat landscape including the mouth of a river. Above the sky is full of aircraft contrails and smoke plumes, while to the upper right aircraft are flying in formation.

 

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The Advance up Spion Kop Segunda Guerra Bóer by Richard Caton Woodville II.

 

[ao_sepia]

View attachment 270552
Duel.
Fresco from the Cathedral of St. Mary of Tiruel (Aragon, Spain). The painting of the nave of the temple, of which this image is a part, dates from about 1270-1335 years. On the left is a Spanish knight, on the right is a Muslim warrior. Judging by the surviving documents for the payment of the work, the painting was done by the Moorish master Koglor Yusaf de Huzmel.

Muslim didn't use a moon and star,insignia of Islam.But use David star of Jewish!?