The capture of Constantine. October 13, 1837

The Capture of Constantine from 1838 at Versailles is Vernet's monumental record of the bloody French siege of the Algerian city. As the official painter of the conquest of Algeria, he created the definitive visual narrative of French colonial expansion. Vernet, director of the French Academy in Rome from 1828 and one of the most prolific history painters of the 19th century, executed military and narrative subjects with the fluid technical assurance and documentary accuracy that made him the pr

The massive battle scene captures the storming of the city with dramatic scope. Vernet's handling of the complex military action demonstrates his command of large-scale historical painting.