Before the attack. At Plevna 1881

Vasily Vereshchagin’s “Before the attack. At Plevna” is made with oil paints, applied with brushes to a woven canvas support. But beyond this traditional medium, there's a palpable tension between the controlled, almost academic painting style, and the brutal reality of war it depicts. Look closely, and you will see a scene of soldiers lying in wait, their uniforms and rifles rendered with careful detail. The sheer amount of labor involved in producing such a large-scale, meticulously painted work is significant. Vereshchagin's commitment to realism, however, extends beyond mere technical skill, resonating with a wider social unease about military conflict. The canvas itself becomes a battleground, as the artist wrestles with the challenge of representing an event that is inherently chaotic and destructive. In doing so, he elevates the status of the common soldier, whose grim anticipation is etched onto the painted surface. The work's power lies not just in its subject matter, but in Vereshchagin's decision to engage with it through the medium of paint, resulting in an artwork that challenges distinctions between fine art and social commentary.