01 Work, The art of War, Cesare Dell'Acqua's Greek mother, with Footnotes

Cesare Dell'Acqua (Italian, 1821-1904)

Greek mother, c. 1860

Oil on canvas

86 x 66 cm.

Private collection

Sold for £ 938,400 (CA$ 1,609,428) in Dec 2007

This painting is an archetypal image of the Greek War of Independence and a classic document in the history of 19th century Philhellenism. 

Cesare dell' Acqua's Greek Mother is a scene full of drama and emotion. Frightened yet fierce, the young mother leaves the spectator in no doubt that no enemy will ever take her child from her arms."  Such a scene not only moves the heart but sanctifies the Greek cause, while alluding to a heroic, glorious past. More on this painting

Cesare Dell'Acqua ( Pirano d'Istria , 22 July 1821 – Ixelles, 16 February 1905 ) was an Italian painter and illustrator.

After completing his first studies in Koper , from 1833 he was in Trieste and from 1842 to 1847 he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice .

From 1848 he was in Brussels in the studio of Louis Gallait , where he specialized in the representation of historical events. Between 1852 and 1877 he performed numerous works in Trieste which made him famous and in demand. Among other things, he was commissioned by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Habsburg to create canvases with phases of the history of Miramare castle which are found in a room on the second floor, called "Cesare Dell'Acqua's Room".

Dell' Acqua always knew how to pick attractive or interesting historical subjects whose analytical rendering recalls the work of Paul Delaroche and Horace Vernet. Captured in sharp detail, his figures convey an appealing impression through the painterly handling of costumes. 

In 1873 he participated in the Universal Exhibition in Vienna and in London the following year. Invitations to the international scene follow one another and will also see him involved overseas.

In the last part of his life he moved permanently to Brussels where he dedicated himself to paintings for book illustrations. More on Cesare Dell'Acqua

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