Scene with Circassian military patrouille in during Russian-Turkish war 1853-1855 was executed in the middle-second half of 19th century by good renowned Austrian genre, military painter Josef Anton STRASSGSCHWANDTNER (Vienna 1826- 1881Vienna). 
Josef Anton Strassgschwandtner was military, horse ,hunting painter, draftsman, and lithographer. From a poor background, the son of a leather merchant, he was orphaned at an early age. S., whose talent as a draughtsman was discovered in the orphanage, studied animal and landscape painting from 1843 to 1845 at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts near Steinfeld. Thereafter, although he had never been in the military himself, he devoted himself almost exclusively to painting horses and soldiers, for which he was later called the Austrian Raffet. These themes became the focus of his mostly small-format genre depictions, where he placed particular emphasis on precise execution, clarity, and luminosity of color. The events of 1848/49 inspired him to create atmospheric and documentary depictions of events in and around Vienna; further material for his historical scenes came from the Crimean War and Russo-Turkish war 1853-1855, the Franco-German campaign, and events from the Thirty Years' War, among others. He also devoted himself to hunting and peasant paintings and created numerous lithographs based on his own and other artists' models, as well as albums (Circus Renz, Hall of Honor of Austrian Warriors, etc.). His clients included members of the high nobility, the wealthy bourgeoisie, and the military. S., who collaborated several times with F. Gauermann and Pettenkofen, first exhibited his works in 1845 at the Austrian Art Association (ABK), from 1854 also at the Austrian Art Association, and from 1868 at the newly built Künstlerhaus (Artists' House). In 1869, he became a member of the Vienna Artists' Association (Künstlerhaus). In 1879, he was placed in a mental asylum due to mental illness. S. left behind a significant collection of weapons and antiques.

Provenance: private collection in Vienna.

Literature: art lexicons by H.Fuchs; Thieme/Becker, in on-line: Wikipedia, Austrian biographical lexicon.

Inscription: signed lower left.

Technique: oil on wood, original gold-plated frame.

Measurements: unframed w. 10 1/4" x h. 7" (26 x 18 cm) ; framed 18 7/8" x 15 3/4" (48 x 40 cm). 

Condition:  good condition, upper area (sky) slightly kracked.