John Wootton

R.W. Dennis, by whom sold, Christie's London, 17th November 1967, lot 97

Milan, Palazzo Reale, British Painting 1660-1840, 1975, no. 8 

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in very good condition. There are no apparent tears or marks to the picture. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals that there has been no recent restoration. FRAME Held in a fine carved and gilded British Baroque frame.
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This dramatic composition depicts the 1^st Duke of Marlborough, Commander of the Allied forces, directing his troops at the Battle of Oudenaarde on 11 July 1708. Marlborough, shown here upon his dazzling grey charger surrounded by his staff, extends his Marshal's baton in a gesture of authority, whilst the main body of his army crosses the river Scheldt outside the town of Oudenaarde, in the opening stages of the battle.

As one of the major engagements during the War of Spanish Succession, the battle was fought in Flanders, between the allied forces of Great Britain, The Dutch Republic, and The Holy Roman Empire and the armies of France. Despite superior forces the French, under the joint command of Louise de Vendôme and the Duke of Burgundy, were out manoeuvred in the early stages of the battle. An advanced British force, led by the Earl of Cadogan, captured the small town of Lessines, out flanking the enemy and forcing a French retreat across the Scheldt. Following an exceptionally hard fought battle the allied forces, under the supreme command of Marlborough and his deputy Prince Eugene of Savoy, broke through the enemy's lines, encircling and then finally routing the French. Though much of the blame for defeat can be accredited to a lack of communication among the French command, Oudenaarde is held as one of the great demonstrations of Marlborough's skill as a General in coordinating his armies.

Battle scenes, especially those of Jacques Courtois, enjoyed a huge vogue in England during the first half of the eighteenth century. In the same way that landscape painting evoked comparison with Vergilian themes, battle scenes were inspired by heroic and epic poetry. Wootton's skill in this particular genre was noted in a whimsical poem by Sir James Thornhill in 1719[1], and the artist's repertoire catered for the increasing demand for commemorative scenes of contemporary battles. Both structurally and metaphorically his battle scenes relate to his images of the hunt, not only in the handling of composition but, more significantly, in the treatment of both the hunt and war as arenas for moral distinction. 

The present picture, with its extensive, open landscape format is typical of Wootton's later battle paintings, demonstrating his marked sensitivity and skill for panoramic views. As a result the image is more a celebration of the pageantry and ceremony of war than the high drama of action; the artist's impulse to commemorate a distinguished victory taking precedence over the more violent aspects of war more typical of his earlier work. In this respect the painting recalls the formal restraint of his Newmarket scenes, once more highlighting the moral connection between war and recreation.  

[1] A. Meyer, John Wootton 1682-1764, Landscapes and sporting art in early Georgian England, 1984, p. 69