Valpladsen ved Marathon, i baggrunden Euboea med bjerget Oche 1837 - 1841

Charles Ross painted 'The Battlefield at Marathon, with Euboea and Mount Oche in the Background' using oil on canvas. Without a date, we must look to the artist's life to place it; Ross was part of the Danish Golden Age, a time of burgeoning national identity. Denmark had lost Norway in 1814 and was looking to establish herself as a cultural centre. Artists turned to landscape painting, imbuing it with themes from Norse mythology and history. Ross invokes the ancient Battle of Marathon in Greece, where the outnumbered Athenians beat the Persian army. In the 19th century, Marathon became a symbol of freedom and democracy. Ross uses muted tones, emphasizing the stillness of the scene to evoke feelings of reverence. To understand this work fully, we might research the art market in Copenhagen and investigate the classical influences popular at the time. This painting shows how the institution of art can give expression to a sense of national pride.