Ruins of the Suburbs of Dresden after the Bombardment of 1760

This is a strange image, as it commemorates a catastrophe. In 1760, the Prussian army besieged Dresden, capital of Saxony, and destroyed large parts of the city. Bellotto, painter to the King of Saxony, recorded the destruction. His images may have had value as propaganda, for across Europe the Prussians were roundly condemned for the equivalent of war crimes. This particular scene may also have had personal resonance; Bellotto lived in this neighborhood, and his house had been destroyed.