Cavalery battle 

Charles Cozette created this drawing of a cavalry battle sometime after his birth in 1730, using primarily gray washes. The scene pulls us into the chaotic fray of combat through the arrangement of fallen soldiers and rearing horses. Cozette masterfully uses line and shading to create depth and movement, which reflects a dynamic and violent conflict. Observe how the artist uses diagonal lines to guide the viewer's eye from the foreground's disarray to the distant clash of armies. The contrast between light and shadow heightens the emotional impact, drawing on the sublime quality of overwhelming terror. The application of the wash blurs the figures, giving a sense of realism to a scene depicting chaos. The scene's composition may evoke a feeling of instability, which reflects the unpredictable nature of war. It reminds us that art doesn’t just represent history, it engages with it and invites us to reflect on the human experience through the formal qualities of the work.