The artwork titled “Before the attack. At Plevna” was created by Vasily Vereshchagin in 1881. It belongs to the Realism art movement and is classified as a battle painting. This piece is part of the Russo-Turkish War series and is currently housed in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia.
In the artwork, Vereshchagin masterfully depicts a tense moment before a military engagement during the Russo-Turkish War. The scene is characterized by a sense of anticipation and readiness as soldiers crouch low to the ground with their rifles, prepared for the impending attack. The officers, decorated in their uniforms, stand together observing the battlefield through binoculars and telescopes, signifying leadership and strategy. The landscape is meticulously detailed, with the distant horizon shrouded in a misty atmosphere, enhancing the gravity of the anticipatory calm before the combat. Vereshchagin’s skillful use of realism brings a striking authenticity to the piece, capturing the solemnity and tension of wartime.
