The Battle of Pydna

The Battle of Pydna was one of the most influential battles in the history of the Roman Empire that helped it to successfully secure a powerful position on the Mediterranean.

This is exactly what the famous Italian painter was trying to showcase on his highly coveted painting The Battle of Pydna. During the creation of the painting, Andrea Del Verrocchio was the then teacher of the artist behind the widely recognized Mona Lisa painting Leonardo da Vinci as well as his favourite student the renowned painter Lorenzo di Credi. He was also the owner of the painting and sculpturing workshop that was known to deliver exemplary artwork throughout the region. The painting was created in the same workshop with the help of his most talented student Leonardo da Vinci.

The painting is made on a 51cm by 159cm canvas, Verrocchio clearly and artistically displays the happenings of that particular battle in a rather familiar yet complicated way. Being the battle that decided the final outcome of the third Macedonian war, he was keen to capture all the best details making it very captivating and intriguing to his audience.

He used tempera medium and renaissance technique which were commonly used during circa 1475 the year it was painted. There were two of these paintings that had a deeper connection and relationship with one another, the other painting is known as the triumph of Aemilius Paulus. They are both said to have come from either side of a cassone a name given to a well-decorated garment chest that was very popular during those days. Taking a closer look at the battle of Pydna painting, there occurs some rather significant differences in some part of the paintings. It is said that some parts of the painting are sharp with profound clarity.

These features are seen on the background of the battlefield, the realistic shining of light from a far distance as well as the crispy clear landscape of the battlegrounds. These parts are said to be the parts that Leonardo da Vinci helped developed. In the painting two groups are seen battling one another and the painter, Andrea Del Verrocchio is keen enough to bring out the details. The horses are well placed, and the soldiers are detailed to achieve a neat, professional finish. With his expertise and painting skills, Andrea del Verrocchio brings out every inch of what transpired without missing a single part.

The current location of the painting is at the famous art gallery Musée Jacquemart-Andre, a very prominent art centre established in 1913 in Paris France. It is well displayed in one of the buildings' walls. This particular artwork was commissioned by him. Since all works of Andrea Del Verrocchio are on the public domain, the painting of the battle of Pydna is not copyrighted. However, since the United States, copyright is the one responsible for conducting all its scientific studies and gathering literature related to the art. The United States copyright laws are applied.

As much Andrea del Verrocchio is seen coming up with some of the best paintings in history like The Battle of Pydna and its pair the triumph of Aemilius Paulus as well as the virgin with the seated child among others, it is his sculptures that made him more prominent. He is also credited for the mentoring of the two most prolific painters in the history of art, Leonardo da Vinci and Lorenzo di Credi. With a couple of strokes and brilliant painting skills, Andrea Del Verrocchio is seen to give his audience a crispy clear view of the battle of Pydna by making every single stroke magical and meaningful.