Battle Paintings after Lepanto by Giorgio Vasari and Matteo Pérez d’Aleccio

This study focuses on the genre of military painting by comparing Giorgio Vasari’s frescoes referring to the Battle of Lepanto of 1571 for the Sala Regia in the Vatican to the fresco cycle depicting the Siege of Malta of 1565 produced by Matteo Pérez d’Aleccio working for the Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Saint John in Malta from 1577–1581. The visual analysis of the artists’ frescoes encompasses a discussion of the style and iconography of their work. Further assessment of the reception of the paintings considers ideologies relevant to the Christian Holy League and the knights of Malta involved in conflicts with forces from the Ottoman empire and theoretical issues related to Mediterranean studies.