Classical Subject of Fighting

Mortimer’s bravura penwork in this sheet is characteristic, but his choice of a classical subject is unusual. The artist was known for his Romantic banditti pieces in the spirit of Salvator Rosa and his imaginative compositions featuring Oriental heads and playful monsters. In this scene, a warrior, whose pose echoes that of the Apollo Belvedere, straddles the body of a fallen companion and grasps a short sword while holding up his cloak to protect himself from primitive attackers armed with clubs and stones. Fallen horses at left indicate a recent battle, while a tiny sailboat on the horizon adds a narrative touch. Mortimer usually made detailed pen drawings of this sort in preparation for related etchings, but the present composition was not turned into a print and its literary source remains unknown.