 The Combat : Woman Pleading for the Vanquished is a large painting , 399 cm ( 13 ft 1 in ) across . It depicts a defeated soldier , kneeling in front of another soldier . The defeated fighter strains to free himself from the grip of the victorious warrior , who stands , raising a sword . A kneeling woman clutches the waist of the victorious soldier , raising her face to him to beg him to spare his defeated foe . The defeated warrior has a stronger body , a face more in keeping with the conventions of attractiveness at the time , and a more sympathetic expression , while the victorious man is darker skinned and has an expression of blank fierceness . The vanquished soldier 's sword has broken , and lies beside him on the ground . 
