13 Masterpieces: Paintings of Conflict

What is it that makes a work of art a masterpiece? Is it the technical abilities employed by the artist—is it the way colors are combined on a canvas or wall? What about subjective qualities like superlative design, extraordinary craftsmanship, great antiquity, rich materials, purity of form, artistic genius, originality and influence on other artists? Works of art have been created for centuries, but only a few have connected the hand, head and heart in a way that distinguishes them as masterpieces.

A masterpiece is a work that seems to go beyond the canvas—that combines a set of ideas and aesthetic characteristics in a way that cannot clearly be articulated in words. These are works that hold a sense of power—exerting an interaction with the viewer that impacts the way we view the world around us. Works that have Zeitgeist, uniquely able to capture the spirit of their time.

This is a book about thirteen masterpieces. Thirteen paintings that stand above the rest in their genre, paintings that best exude the essence of art depicting war. The art of wars is protean—both crea-tive and destructive, and ultimately transformative. The painting that depicts conflict is more than just a pictorial documentary of historic events, it serves to elevate these encounters and implied participants to a more profound level. There are several different approaches artists have historically taken to the war art genre as well as several common features that most tend to share. Understanding the different approaches, as well as the common features in this genre allows for a more critical approach when interacting with the works, and ultimately a more rewarding aesthetic experience.