Charles Martel—God's Hammer—stands at the head of the Frankish host as steel meets steel on the fields between Tours and Poitiers. The line does not break. Spears lock, banners rise, and the advance is halted by discipline and resolve. The fate of the West gathers into a single hour of violence and endurance.
This battle marked a turning point in the history of Europe. By holding the line, the Franks preserved the Christian order of the West from conquest and collapse. The victory secured the ground upon which kingdoms, churches, and nations would rise.
De Steuben’s painting presents Poitiers as a moment of judgment and preservation—a stand taken, a boundary held, a civilization spared. It is an image of men who bore the weight of history and did not give way.
