Battle of Poitiers, 25 October 732

Baron Charles de Steuben (1788-1856) was a German-born French painter known for the dramatically composed historical paintings that make him one of the most accomplished painters of the French Romantic tradition. The Battle of Poitiers, 25 October 732 from the 1830s depicts the famous Battle of Poitiers in which Charles Martel defeated the Umayyad army, one of the most important battles in European history, in the dramatically composed, academically informed manner that distinguishes de Steuben's best historical work. The 1830s date places this in the period of the French Romantic tradition, when dramatically composed historical paintings were being produced by some of the most accomplished painters of the French tradition.

The Battle of Poitiers is important in the history of French historical painting because it depicts one of the most important battles in European history in the dramatically composed manner of the French Romantic tradition. De Steuben's dramatically composed historical paintings—depicting the important battles and events of European history with the dramatic composition that is his most distinctive contribution—represent one of the most accomplished traditions in French historical painting, and the 1830s painting shows this tradition at its most dramatically composed.

The Battle of Poitiers is de Steuben's dramatically composed historical painting: the famous battle in which Charles Martel defeated the Umayyad army rendered in the academically informed manner of one of the most accomplished painters of the French Romantic tradition. The 1830s painting shows the combination of historical narrative with dramatic composition that makes French historical painting one of the most accomplished traditions.