French School, 19th century
Portrait of a French cavalry officer at the Battle of Smolensk, Napoleon mounted on white horse in the background
inscribed 'Prise de Smolinsky/Par la grande armée, en aout/1812' (lower left)
watercolour and gouache
62.2 x 99.1cm (24 1/2 x 39in).
Footnotes:
Lieutenant of the Chasseurs à Cheval of the Imperial Guard at Smolensk, 1812

This attractive work depicts an incident during Napoleon's fateful campaign against Russia during 1812. Having defeated the Russians in 1807 and come to an accord in the Treaty of Tilsit, relations between Tsar Alexander I and the French Emperor deteriorated in the following years. Russia resented the ban imposed on its exports of naval timber to Great Britain, was displeased by the establishment of a newly independent Poland and was deeply offended by Napoleon's rejection of the Tsar's sister as his second wife in favour of an Austrian princess. Renewed conflict was inevitable.

Napoleon's army - 250,000 French troops and the same number of 'allies', mostly Poles and Germans - entered Russia on 22nd June 1812 and advanced steadily against two retreating Russian armies. Only relatively minor clashes occurred during the 350-mile advance to Smolensk, which was reached in mid-August. The Russians made a stand at Smolensk with Lieutenant-General Raevsky's Corps holding off the Emperor in a bloody two-day battle while the main Russian armies slipped away to fight another day. Napoleon continued his advance, fought the indecisive battle of Borodino on 7th September and occupied Moscow, but was forced into a disastrous retreat by the Russians burning their own capital and the exhaustion of his supplies. The Emperor's forces - about 20,000 survivors - left Russian on 14th December.

The principal subject of the painting is an officer of the Chasseurs à Cheval of the Imperial Guard. This regiment of Light Cavalry, best known from the dramatic painting by Théodore Gericault in the Louvre, was a favourite unit of Napoleon's and he was often depicted in its Undress uniform. The regiment acted as the Emperor's mounted escort and is seen at far right following Napoleon's staff with the Emperor in front on a grey horse. Unusually for a campaign setting, the lieutenant is wearing Full Dress comprising leather breeches, dark green horse furniture and dolman and the scarlet pelisse.

The Imperial Guard was Napoleon's Corps d'Elite of specially-chosen soldiers who were always reserved in battle to give the final shocking charge to break the enemy after the Line regiments had worn down the opposition. The background of the painting shows serried ranks of infantry and cavalry advancing against the city and the billowing gunpowder smoke of thousands of muskets and hundreds of cannon. The middle ground behind the mounted officer features troops from units of the Imperial Guard including from left to right - Grenadiers in bearskin caps, a Chasseur, a Polish Lancer, a Horse Grenadier and one of the Empress's Dragoons. Two Mamelukes of the Guard and a Gendarme d'élite appear under the horse and at far right Foot Artillerymen and a Dutch Lancer of the Guard are gathered round a fire.

We are grateful to Dr. Andrew Cormack for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.

The sheet has been laid to card.

The sheet appears slightly discoloured throughout, commensurate with age. There are one or two small spots of foxing. There are some very minor craquelure in the black pigment along the lower edge. One or two very small damages to the lower edge and a few other minor imperfections elsewhere.

Subject to the above the work appears in relatively good colour, good general condition and ready to hang.