In this depiction of the battle that ended the Paraguayan War, Pedro Américo de Figueiredo e Melo shows the border between Brazil and Paraguay. Nature dominates the composition: on one side, we see a forest, a symbol for the Brazilian territory. The flooded lands of the Chaco region, representing Paraguay, stand on the other. Américo focuses on the moment the Brazilian army spots the Paraguayan camp. The battle is about to begin.