The Battle of Taillebourg, 21st July 1242

Delacroix's The Battle of Taillebourg of 1837, commissioned for the Galerie des Batailles at Versailles, depicts Louis IX's victory over Henry III of England in 1242, which eliminated the last serious English threat to the French throne south of the Loire. Delacroix was commissioned to paint several battle scenes for Louis-Philippe's historical gallery that would emphasize French dynastic and military continuity. The composition shows the bridge crossing as a violent crush of cavalry and infantry, Delacroix applying his Rubensian mastery of turbulent battle to a specifically French national historical subject.

Delacroix's dynamic composition captures the fury of medieval combat with characteristic energy and movement. The bold color contrasts and the sweeping brushwork create a sense of violent action that stands in stark contrast to the frozen compositions of neoclassical battle painting.