Combat of a Greek and a Turk

Vernet's Combat of a Greek and a Turk, painted after 1835, reflects the continuing French Philhellene sentiment following the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829) that had mobilized European liberal opinion and attracted Delacroix, Byron, and many others. The combat between a Greek and a Turk provided Vernet with the martial subject that was his primary specialty, combined with the Orientalist visual vocabulary of distinctive costumes and weapons that he had developed throughout his career. His Greek and Turkish combat scenes contributed to the cultural mythology of the Greek War as a struggle between European civilization and Oriental barbarism.

Vernet's oil on fabric captures the violence of close combat with dynamic figure composition, vivid color contrasts between the combatants' costumes, and the energetic brushwork that animates his military subjects.