In the 1630s, the Antwerp-born Peter Snayers painted the Siege of Horn. Although less known today, he was a famous battle painter in his time. He worked in Brussels, where his main patrons were based: the court and military commanders. They were eager to have their own triumphs and those of their predecessors immortalized.

Although his war scenes are particularly detailed, Snayers did not go to the front to gather information. He painted his usually very large canvases in his studio, basing them on prints and reports from military engineers and other eyewitnesses. This makes Snayers’ depictions extremely precise. This also applies to the Siege of Horn, which depicts the attack on that Austrian city during the Eighty Years’ War.

It strongly appears that Snayers painted the Siege of Horn on commission from the successful Spanish commander Diego Mexía de Guzmán, the Marquis of Leganés. Besides being a military strategist, he was a true art lover and owned an extensive painting collection. As evidenced by the preserved inventory, the Marquis collected works by the leading masters of his time, such as Peter Paul Rubens and Frans Snijders. Snayers’ Siege of Horn is also mentioned in it!

The restoration of the Siege of Horn is a particularly exciting and challenging project. Over the centuries, the canvas has endured a lot. It was enlarged, visible by the added strip at the top and the different craquelure patterns in the paint layer. It was also heavily overpainted. Removing these non-original paint layers requires an extremely meticulous and careful approach.

Currently, restorers Jill and Ellen Keppens have started the first phase of the treatment. They were able to relatively easily remove the top varnish layer and the first layer of overpaint. These overpaints are lighter in tone than the underlying parts. Normally, you would expect the opposite: that colors become lighter after removing varnish and overpaints. Under the first layer, they found older and discolored remnants of varnish, oil, glue, and retouches. These remnants make the restoration complex because they are often very difficult to remove.

The piercing eyes of a horse or an unexpected figure reveal the excellent painting quality of the facial expressions. These surprising details unveil a glimpse of the original splendour of the painting and serve as a reference for further treatment. The many powerful details, such as the expressive faces, dynamic troop movements, and wild horses typical of Snayers, will be carefully restored in the second phase of the treatment.

In that phase, Jill and Ellen will also remove stubborn retouches. Where complete removal is impossible, they will ‘thin’ them to create a harmonious overall experience. They will then apply a protective intermediate varnish and begin filling in gaps and retouching. Finally, the canvas will receive a final varnish layer, and Snayers’ Siege of Horn will once again be admired in all its glory.

Jill and Ellen are at the beginning of a long journey. Every day brings new insights and unexpected details to light that deserve the necessary time and attention. This makes this restoration treatment not only challenging but also immensely fascinating. And one thing is certain: the end result will be worth the precision work.

Want to know more about battle painter Peter Snayers? Then also read this Phoebus Finding.