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The painting depicts the defense of Monte Negino during the Italian campaign of 1796. At this position, a small French detachment withstood repeated Austrian attacks until reinforcements arrived. The defense of Monte Negino was crucial in enabling Napoleon to launch the offensive that culminated in the French victory at the Battle of Montenotte—the first major victory of his Italian campaign.

For me, War and Peace is the best film about the Napoleonic Wars and one of the greatest historical films ever made. The scale of the battles is breathtaking: thousands of soldiers, real cavalry, and practical effects make everything feel massive and authentic—something even many modern productions have failed to match. Beyond recreating battles like Austerlitz and Borodino, the film brilliantly captures the atmosphere of the era. It was a massive production funded by the Soviet government, which made thousands of soldiers, horses, and military resources available for the shoot to achieve an extraordinary level of realism; there will truly never be another masterpiece quite like it.

The painting depicts the battles of the Sieges of Zaragoza, fought between June 15, 1808, and February 20, 1809, during the Peninsular War. It shows Polish regiments of the Duchy of Warsaw serving Napoleon, including the Vistula Regiment, participating in the fierce assaults against Spanish positions around the Monastery of Santa Engracia and other parts of the city. What began as a siege escalated into one of the most brutal urban battles of the Napoleonic Wars. The Spanish resistance forced the attackers to fight street by street, house by house, and even room by room among the ruined buildings. After months of fighting, bombardments, and epidemics that devastated the city, Zaragoza finally fell on February 20, 1809. The victory went to the Napoleonic forces, although at a huge cost to both sides, making the Sieges of Zaragoza one of the bloodiest and most remembered episodes of the entire war.