Storming of Chapultepec—Pillow's Attack

Adolphe-Jean-Baptiste Bayot, after Carl Nebel

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of a military attack on a fortified position. The scene depicts a chaotic battlefield with soldiers in blue uniforms advancing up a hill towards a large fort atop a rocky elevation. The defenders of the fort are seen with dense smoke emanating from the battlements. The fort is situated on the right side of the image with a flag flying above it, constructed with stone walls. The setting is under a partly cloudy sky with sunlight creating high contrast on the landscape. The foreground is chaotic with figures in motion, indicating the intensity of the attack.