Episode from the Battle of Bailén
1864. Oil on canvas.On display elsewhere
The author depicts the battle of Bailén, fought on 19–7–1808 on the outskirts of the town that gives its name to the battle, in the province of Jaén. This episode is from the Peninsular War (1808–1814) fought between French and Spanish troops.
The composition shows the precise moment when the two armies clash. It is a scene treated with great dramatic emphasis, strong dynamism and realistic concern in the depiction of the events. The lines of movement are accentuated in the centre of the composition, thus creating a middle axis, which is also the centre of the battle and confrontation. The tones used are very vivid and the atmosphere dissolves some of the scenery, while, by contrast, some of the groups in the conflict are illuminated with great precision, as in the central point. The light and serenity of the backgrounds, the landscape, contrast with the agitation of the front figures in the foreground. The technique used by Balaca is dissolved and the composition is of great quality. It is a work that belongs to the early period of the artist, whose legacy to Spanish history painting is highly representative.
Tovar Martin, Virginia, El Palacio del Ministerio de Justicia y sus obras de arte, Madrid, Ministerio de Justicia, 1986, p.180
