The crusaders start their march on the Holy City of Jerusalem, going from Tartus to reach Emmaus, just as all able-bodied Christians are banished from the city by its ruler Aladine.
Guardi
A mystic dies from burns after an ordeal by fire, Jerusalem is put under siege, then on 13 July they take the Holy City and start massacring its inhabitants. Few return alive to Europe.
From Bellini in 1496, through Canaletto, to JMW Turner in 1840, views of Piazza San Marco in Venice.
A tough compositional challenge: a square that isn’t even rectangular, with unequal sides and a high tower. Solutions by Canaletto and other masters.
Dutch Golden Age brandjes, West’s failure, fires in Venice and Copenhagen, and the rivals John Constable and JMW Turner painting London on fire.
From 1643 (Claude Lorrain), through Claude-Joseph Vernet and Turner to JC Dahl two centuries later.
Painted by Bosch, the animal painter Paulus Potter, Charles Le Brun, and others. Best known from Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps.
Bridges have had huge impact on man, but aren’t normally considered aesthetically attractive. Paintings from van Eyck to Jongkind show increasing interest among artists.
Canals from Sisley at the end of the 19th century, and paintings of Venice by Canaletto, Rico, and of course John Singer Sargent.
With an army from Egypt on its way, the crusaders have no time to lose. Rinaldo removes the spells preventing them from cutting timber, and they are soon assaulting the city of Jerusalem.
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