Classical Battle Scene with a Row of Warships

An enfilade of soldiers prepare for battle in the foreground of this masterfully drawn sheet in pen and brown ink that is squared for transfer. Meanwhile, ranks of sailboats and men in oar-powered boats move toward a city that is lightly delineated in the upper right of the paper. The use of varied graphic media and white highlights evokes other of Fontana's drawings, including Classical Battle Scene with a Row of Warships, now at the British Museum, London (1875,0710.2631).