School of Sodoma
Episode of the Battle of Anghiari, 16th century, oil on canvas
The painting is one of the best-known copies of The Battle of Anghiari, painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1504 and 1505 to celebrate the violent combat between Florentine and Milanese troops along the banks of the Tiber River, in the vicinity of Anghiari, on 29 June 1440. The Tuscan side emerged victorious from this battle, and succeeded in capturing their adversary’s military standards.
Leonardo’s fresco remained visible in the Palazzo Vecchio until the eighth decade of the sixteenth century, when the wall was covered over during works for the new decoration of the Great Council Hall, designed by Giorgio Vasari.
Diverse well-known copies of Leonardo’s famous composition exist: the Museo Horne’s example seems to derive from a drawing belonging to the collections of Alberto Rucellai, containing several constituent details, such as the sabre clutched by the warrior standing astride a vanquished figure, which are absent in other copies of the famous battle.
