Battle of Kearsage and Alabama 1864

Edouard Manet captured the maritime drama of the ‘Battle of Kearsarge and Alabama’ with oil on canvas. The painting plunges us into the heat of naval conflict, with billowing smoke and turbulent waves dominating the scene. Manet's brushstrokes are loose and expressive, conveying the energy and chaos of battle. The composition is structured by a stark contrast between the dark, beleaguered Alabama and the lighter, more distant Kearsarge, creating a dynamic tension. Manet was concerned less with the literal depiction of the battle and more with the interplay of light, color, and form. The dark tones of the ships and the smoky sky are offset by the whitecaps of the waves, creating a sense of depth and movement. This treatment aligns with the emerging modernist focus on the act of painting itself, rather than a purely representational objective. The artist uses the maritime subject to explore the formal qualities of painting. In doing so, Manet challenges traditional academic painting, pushing the boundaries of what art could be.