| Tango01 | 27 Jul 2017 9:50 p.m. PST |
Superb job!
Main page
link
Amicalement
Armand
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| C M DODSON | 27 Jul 2017 11:20 p.m. PST |
Absolutely fantastic painting. The guy on the ground is brilliant. My only thought is that for the cold they look well nourished and relatively warm. Perhaps a more sallow complexion would portray the cold? Nevertheless, wonderful work of the highest standard. Best wishes, Chris |
 deadhead  | 28 Jul 2017 1:35 a.m. PST |
It is superb (as is the gallery that accompanies it) but I would bet that Napoleon was never in such a situation. Every account suggests he was comparatively well catered for throughout the Retreat. Rank had its privileges back then. |
| Brechtel198 | 28 Jul 2017 6:13 a.m. PST |
To which accounts to you refer? Napoleon burned his vehicles at Orsha and shared his troops hardships, for the most part, during the retreat. |
| Le Breton | 28 Jul 2017 6:41 a.m. PST |
Napoléon burned his papers and carriages 21-22 November at Orsha.
Napoléon left his army to return to Paris on 5 December at Smorgoni. He thus "shared his troops hardships, for the most part" by riding a selection of the best horses, wearing the best possible winter clothing and eating more or less the same as the general officers of Army Headquarters and the Imperial Guard – for a period of 13 days (when the temperature rose enough to melt the Beresina) and over a distance of about 175 miles. |
| Le Breton | 28 Jul 2017 6:55 a.m. PST |
Louis Constant Wairy – 1er valet de chambre – gives his recollections of Napoléon's exposure to harships here, at Chapter VIII (in English) :
link Constant bemoans the lack of palaces, and considers the whole Russian campaign disagreeable. But you can see that (no surprise) the Empereur did not suffer like the soldiers of his army, but did not live in great luxury either. |
| von Winterfeldt | 28 Jul 2017 7:18 a.m. PST |
Yes indeed – eye witness accounts confirm that he had still a nice table while his soldiers arround him died in droves, Boney did not share anything but continued to live in luxury compared to his soldiers, rank indeed had its priviliege, not unsurprisingly Napoleon lovers ignore this. |
| Frederick | 28 Jul 2017 7:24 a.m. PST |
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| Brechtel198 | 28 Jul 2017 12:20 p.m. PST |
…eye witness accounts confirm that he had still a nice table while his soldiers arround him died in droves, Boney did not share anything but continued to live in luxury compared to his soldiers, rank indeed had its priviliege, not unsurprisingly Napoleon lovers ignore this. Examples and sources? |
| Tango01 | 28 Jul 2017 12:22 p.m. PST |
Happy you like it my friends!. (smile) So, for Napoleon it was a walk at the park… (smile). Which other Emperor of his Era (Or King)… made the "walk" he did?… (smile) Amicalement
Armand |
| deadhead | 28 Jul 2017 12:44 p.m. PST |
Great that such a marvellous diorama had led to what could be quite an interesting discussion. I hope it continues! Brechtel198 is right to ask for references. But…..It is just simply that "I know" (as I simply do, this is not to be questioned therefore…..) that he never had to sleep out in the open, was fed every night, travelled most of the way in a carriage (and not the one captured at Genappe, whatever they claim) and might have been at risk of capture or death…but not frostbite or starvation. and his final abandonment of his army was in a vehicle, with a Polish escort. At this time of his life, the impression is of a chap who did not choose to "rough it". |
| Brechtel198 | 28 Jul 2017 4:35 p.m. PST |
Anyone who was in the Russian campaign most certainly 'roughed it.' |
"goes large."
