In the following selection, Anthony D. Smith, one of the leading scholars of nationalism, argues that visual arts played a crucial role in the development of European national identity. Smith believes that painting has the power to capture a decisive moment in history and endow it with a power that other arts cannot. His argument serves as an excellent guide for understanding the importance of the paintings that follow.

One of the most celebrated heroes in modern British history is Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). The commander of the British fleet during the Napoleonic Wars, Nelson prevented the French from invading England. At the Battle of Trafalgar, fought on 21 October 1805 near the Spanish coast, Nelson's fleet destroyed Napoleon's. Before the two forces engaged, Nelson had his ship fly the words "England Expects That Every Man Will Do His Duty"--a call that became a rallying cry for generations afterward. The British admiral died in the battle, and his death has often been portrayed as a martyrdom for the British nation. Arthur William Devis's painting of Nelson's death depicts a Christ-like Nelson on his deathbed, surrounded by his subordinates.

The defeat of Napoleon inspired many German elites to press for the establishment of a unified German state. One of the symbols of Germanness promoted by artists of the time was German Gothic architecture, which had been designated as an example of German culture by Goethe before the French Revolution. In this painting, Karl Friedrich Schinkel depicts an impressive Gothic cathedral at the height of its medieval glory as a means of promoting German nationhood in the present.

Greek Art

The Greek War of Independence in 1821 inspired romantics and nationalists throughout Europe. Byron himself joined the Greeks and died fighting for their independence from the Ottoman Turks. The desire to create a new Greek state met with approval among educated western Europeans, who had studied the culture of ancient Greece and believed that the Greeks were struggling to regain their ancestral freedom. In addition, Christian countries ranging from England to Russia backed the Greeks against the Muslim Turks. Greece gained its independence in 1829. Later in the century, the Greek painter Theodoros Vryzakis (1814-1878) became famous for his historical paintings that glorified the struggle for the modern Greek nation. This painting depicts valiant Greek soldiers, with the Christian God on their side, fighting against their oppressors.

The Struggle Over Russian Identity

Vasilii Surikov (1848-1916) studied art at the Russian Academy in St. Petersburg after a childhood spent in Siberia. After graduation, he moved to Moscow, and claimed "when I moved [there], the center of the nation, I immediately found my way in art." Inspired by the architecture of the old Russian capital, Surikov began to paint a series of historical works that featured turning points of Russian history. His work "The Morning of the Execution of the Streltsy" took up the theme of Peter the Great’s reforms and their legacies. The biggest revolt of palace guards, or streltsy, who opposed Peter's reforms, took place in 1698. Peter, abroad at the time, returned to Russia and personally oversaw the execution of the rebellious soldiers.

Polish National Art

If any single work of art can be termed the national painting of a particular country, Jan Matejko's The Battle of Grunwald comes closest. Matejko (1838-1893) completed his bombastic masterpiece in 1878. Like his countryman, Frederic Chopin, Matejko chafed at Poland's non-existence, and painted a work that glorified Poland's past. He selected a battle that took place in 1410, when a combined Polish-Lithuanian force defeated the Teutonic Knights, leading to the dominance of the Polish-Lithuanian state in the region (the battle is frequently called the Battle of Tannenberg). Matejko, like many of his contemporaries throughout Europe, took a significant moment from a nation's past and used it to inspire Poles in the nineteenth century. When this painting was shown in Krakow in 1878, huge crowds came to view Matejko's work.

In the following passage, the art historian Richard Brettell explains the importance of Jan Matejko's masterpiece, The Battle of Grunwald. For Brettell, Matejko's immense painting is the best example of how artists in the nineteenth century expressed their nationalistic beliefs. Matejko captured a medieval battle in his work, but he infused it with contemporary meaning that continues to resonate with its audience.

Swiss Neutrality

Swiss neutrality forms an important part of Swiss national identity, and artists of the 19th century painted mythic scenes that reinforced this idea. Jean Renggli captured the moment when the Swiss nation supposedly began, the famous Rutli Oath of 1291. In that year, three valley communities formed the "Everlasting League." This alliance, which at first was enacted to prevent war in the region, gradually developed into a defence pact. The union of the three valleys, which came to be known as the "Rutli Oath," marked for 19th century Switzerland the inauguration of the nation. According to this view, the act of 1291 gave birth to the modern Swiss Confederation. This myth of a quasi-democratic foundation of the state based on reason instead of force has formed an important part of Swiss identity ever since.