 Etty did not base The Combat on any single incident from history or literature , or on any existing artwork , but on his own imagination ; this was a highly unusual step to take regarding history paintings , which generally depicted themes from literature or religion . He had been considering the topic as early as 1821 , and his plans took shape following his visit to Italy . During this visit Etty had met Antonio Canova and been very impressed by him ; The Combat is clearly influenced by his work . As well as drawing inspiration from classical sculpture , he was also strongly influenced by the composition of Old Master works he had seen while in Italy . As with many of Etty 's works , the models posed for him separately in his studio , rather than as a group . 
