Paolo Uccello's 'Battle of San Romano' Becomes Animated Film by Georges Schwizgebel

Swiss filmmaker Georges Schwizgebel has created an animated short film based on Paolo Uccello's Renaissance triptych 'The Battle of San Romano,' housed at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The painting commemorates the 1432 Florentine victory over Sienese troops and the Milanese alliance led by the Duke of Milan. Schwizgebel, first captivated by the work as an 18-year-old art student in 1962, replaced Uccello's egg tempera on wood with acrylic on glass to bring the battle scene to life. The film's 16:9 aspect ratio matches the painting's dimensions (181 x 323 cm). The soundtrack, by composer Judith Gruber-Stitzer, incorporates horse neighs and clashing steel blades. Schwizgebel noted that the painting's composition, with Florentine soldiers' weapons angled forward and opponents' weapons angled back, foreshadows the battle's outcome.