Edouard Detailles "Vive L'Empereur" GdB Cover art
Hi to all, Recently our club awarded our long serving Treasurer a framed print of the painting mentioned above that also adorns the cover of everyone of our copies of GdB. Following up in our club newsletter was some interesting information on the painting which inspired me to recently visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales whilst in Sydney last week for business to see the painting first hand. I thought I might share some details. The picture depicts the charge of the French 4th Hussars on June 14th, 1807 at the battle of Friedland and was completed in the early 1890's. Firstly, the size of he painting truly surprised me. Having been fortunate to visit Invalides, Versaille etc large scale paintings are not new to me however it truly dominated the wing of the gallery and drew everyone to it.
It was purchased in 1893 for the pricely sum of 3000 pounds which happened to be 80% of the galleries acquisition budget that year. In 1959, after years of being mainly in storage, the painting was quite seriously water damaged during a storm and it was virtually deemed unsalvageble.
Out of sight out of mind...
Forty years later, funds were raised to restore the famous painting and this was commenced in full public view in 2002.
It was well worth the trip across from the rocks and, as you can see in the photograph, certainly impressed me!
Cheers
Carlo
Hi to all, Recently our club awarded our long serving Treasurer a framed print of the painting mentioned above that also adorns the cover of everyone of our copies of GdB. Following up in our club newsletter was some interesting information on the painting which inspired me to recently visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales whilst in Sydney last week for business to see the painting first hand. I thought I might share some details. The picture depicts the charge of the French 4th Hussars on June 14th, 1807 at the battle of Friedland and was completed in the early 1890's. Firstly, the size of he painting truly surprised me. Having been fortunate to visit Invalides, Versaille etc large scale paintings are not new to me however it truly dominated the wing of the gallery and drew everyone to it.
It was purchased in 1893 for the pricely sum of 3000 pounds which happened to be 80% of the galleries acquisition budget that year. In 1959, after years of being mainly in storage, the painting was quite seriously water damaged during a storm and it was virtually deemed unsalvageble.
Out of sight out of mind...
Forty years later, funds were raised to restore the famous painting and this was commenced in full public view in 2002.
It was well worth the trip across from the rocks and, as you can see in the photograph, certainly impressed me!
Cheers
Carlo