Harold Von Schmidt studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts and later with accomplished illustrator Harvey Dunn at the Grand Central School of Art in New York. In 1948 after service in World War II, Von Schmidt taught in Connecticut as a founding faculty at a school for illustrators called the Famous Artists School. His work was regularly featured in magazines, and he illustrated an edition of Willa Cather's well-known novel Death Comes for the Archbishop. He played rugby on the 1920 U.S. Olympics Team.
 
During World War II, Von Schmidt served in Europe as a war correspondent for the U.S. Air Force. He later served in Japan, where he reported on the country's post-war occupation led by U. S. General Douglas MacArthur. Pausing to reflect on what Von Schmidt must have witnessed during his war service gives context to his intense action style in this painting. 

Continue reading to look more closely at this painting.

With a bird's eye perspective, the artist places the viewer as if watching from the cliff shown in the right foreground of the painting. We see the tops of men's heads and the backs of horses. We see tightly woven forms moving in every direction.
 
It is impossible to see everything at once or to make out every detail. This gives a striking feeling of confusion and chaos that contrasts to Von Schmidt's soft painting style. 
 
His use of loose curved lines and delicate treatment of details, such as the horses' eyes, give an equally striking sense of beauty and gracefulness in this intense battle scene.

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