Time period: 18th century

Dim: 112 x 126 cm (49.61 x 44.09 inch.)

This 18th-century tile panel depicts a battle scene between a European army and Ottoman forces—a recurring theme in Portuguese Baroque iconography, often associated with the defense of Christendom. Executed in cobalt blue on a white background, the panel demonstrates remarkable pictorial sophistication, with tonal variations that lend depth and dynamism to the composition. At the center, the clash is vividly portrayed: European horsemen confront Ottoman soldiers, identifiable by their turbans and banners, forming a visual narrative full of action and tension. An idealized landscape of trees and rolling hills serves as the backdrop, while the exuberant Baroque frame—adorned with volutes, vegetal motifs, and cherubs—enhances the theatricality of the piece, as if the scene were unfolding on a stage. This panel not only illustrates an imagined moment of historical conflict but also reflects the symbolic and aesthetic values of 18th-century Portuguese narrative tilework.