Large genre painting by well-renown German historical and genre painter Karl Gehrts (1853 Hamburg - 1898 Endenich by Bonn). Our painting is oil study or version by the artist  to his  important historical painting  " The guest meal of the Count Gero, with which he lets kill his swort enemies - thirty chiefs of the pagan Slavs" (German original title: "Das Gastmahl des Markgrafen Gero, bei welchem er dreissig gegen ihn verschworene Häuptliche der heidnischen Slaven töten lässt"). This painting represented in the list of works by K.Gehrts in the important  dictionary of artists of 19th century "Malerwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts", by Friedrich von Boetticher;Leipzig, 1901, page 365, list number 12. The motive of our painting describes the time of the Wendish Crusade , an 1147 campaign, one of the part of the Second Crusade, led primarily by the Kingdom of Germany inside the Holy Roman Empire and directed against the Polabian Slavs ("Wends").  By the early 12th century, the German archbishoprics of Bremen and Magdeburg sought the conversion of neighboring pagan West Slavs to Christianity through peaceful means. During the preparation of the Second Crusade to the Holy Land, however, a papal bulletin was issued which supported a crusade against these Slavs. Fo full historical info see  Wikipedia under link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendish_Crusade#Consequences

Literature: Fr.von Boetticher "Malerwerke des 19. jahrhunderts", Leipzig, 1901, page 365, list number 12.; Thieme/Becker "Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart".

Inscription: signed and dated (1)880 lower left.

Technique: oil on canvas. Luxuriousy original period gilt frame.

Measurements: unframed w 45 " x h 28 1/4 " (114 x 72 cm), framed w 52 3/4 " x h 36 1/4 " (134 x 92 cm)

Condition: in very good condition