Cuirassier | 06 Mar 2019 10:53 a.m. PST |
Painted by Alphonse Lalauze.
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Cuirassier | 06 Mar 2019 11:09 a.m. PST |
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BillyNM | 06 Mar 2019 11:48 a.m. PST |
I have to admit it's only a guess, but Marie Louise en-route to France to marry Napoleon? The uniforms look the right period and the civilians look a bit Austro-German. If this is the case then the second, older, woman would be either Napoleon's sister Caroline or Lanne's widow the Duchesses of Montebello. |
Mike Petro | 06 Mar 2019 11:57 a.m. PST |
My Navy retirement ceremony?…i'm getting a little old. Important question, who is in the carriage? Gendarmes on the side presenting arms, so some big wig. |
Mike Petro | 06 Mar 2019 12:00 p.m. PST |
1809 diamond shako plate on chasseurs? |
Grunt1861 | 06 Mar 2019 12:06 p.m. PST |
I like BillyNM's answer. Damn fine painting as well. Thanks for posting it. |
Mike Petro | 06 Mar 2019 12:13 p.m. PST |
BillyNM probably has it right, agree. |
JimDuncanUK | 06 Mar 2019 12:24 p.m. PST |
I found this. "Watercolor signed and dated lower right: "Alph Lalauze 1903." military scene by an escort of dignitaries in the city of Strasbourg. In the foreground a horse hunters officer followed by two hunters. In the background a general officer, a cuirassier officer, the convertible with two officials on the right foot a policeman with guns and a troop of lightly." |
Jcfrog | 06 Mar 2019 12:35 p.m. PST |
Aquarelle signée et datée en bas à droite: "Alph. Lalauze 1903" Scène militaire d'une escorte de dignitaires dans la ville de Strasbourg. Au premier plan un officier de chasseurs à cheval suivi de deux chasseurs. En arrière plan un officier général, un officier de cuirassier, le cabriolet avec les deux officiels, sur la droite un gendarme à pied présentant les armes et un troupe de la légère. Yes I believe it is the ceremony of her welcome (M Louise) in Strasbourg 1810 April 2. BillyNM pretty sure the civies will be happy to be labelled as Austro Germans" ;) |
MaggieC70 | 06 Mar 2019 1:24 p.m. PST |
Caroline Murat was dispatched to escort M-L to France and, because she outranked Louise Lannes by a country mile, she would be the one in the carriage. But get the three of those women in the same room and you'd have quite the collection of cold-hearted, devious, underhanded, and disloyal *itches. |
deadhead | 06 Mar 2019 3:37 p.m. PST |
What an amazing painting. Someone really knew his uniforms. I have immediately saved the postillions picture. I am surprised blue, not Imperial green, coats. But notice the arm badge or the harness on the horses for attention to detail. I see a gendarme a pied, a Light Infantryman, Chasseurs a Cheval, etc as above in French language. What a marvellous find. So often artists (esp British) paint uniforms as what was for them contemporary. To produce this in 1903 is incredible. Rarely seen light cavalry so well portrayed. |
Cuirassier | 06 Mar 2019 5:02 p.m. PST |
BillyNM, JimDuncanUK, Jcfrog and others… You guys are the best. Many thanks for the help. |
79thPA | 06 Mar 2019 5:28 p.m. PST |
It is an interesting painting. |
AussieAndy | 06 Mar 2019 6:07 p.m. PST |
I guess that the spire in the background must be that of the Cathedral, although it's a bit hard to identify it as being Strasbourg Cathedral. |
Korvessa | 06 Mar 2019 6:36 p.m. PST |
I like the expression on the horse's face for the rider on far left |
Musketballs | 06 Mar 2019 6:42 p.m. PST |
In every picture there *always* has to be someone pulling a face |
BillyNM | 07 Mar 2019 12:22 p.m. PST |
Straßburg eh? Well it was a fairly recent French acquisition back then and so probably still pretty 'Germanic' – maybe they'd forgive my gaffe. I shall draw comfort from the fact that even the French president (Sarkozy) couldn't tell the difference and that was in 2011! |
deadhead | 07 Mar 2019 4:24 p.m. PST |
Borders can be confusing. In 1982 I was awarded a scholarship to the University of Michigan for six months, so I pitched up to the Canadian Consulate in London asking about entry regulations. Poor girl at reception was so polite. I could have died. This was long before the Internet remember
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Nine pound round | 07 Mar 2019 5:10 p.m. PST |
I will plead nolo contendere on the description of Caroline Murat, and Marie-Louise's weaknesses and failings seem like a topic for legitimate debate, but just curious- on what grounds would that description of Marshal Lannes' wife be justified? |
MaggieC70 | 07 Mar 2019 5:32 p.m. PST |
Nine Pound Round, when I was doing my dissertation research back in the day on Marshal Lannes, I kept finding little hidden nuggets that showed me the Lovely Louise was not at all what conventional wisdom--and biographies of the marshal written by men--had been pushing since about 1815. By the time I finished my original research and extended it by a considerable measure, including a marvelous stack of correspondence between Marie-Louise and LL from 1815 through 1826, I was calling her The Black Widow. If you really want to know the details, I will be delighted to share here. In the meantime, here's a couple of little tidbits: Her husband was scarcely cold before she was badgering Napoleon to award her the title of Princess of Sievres, plus all the money and property that went with it. That was the Polish "donation" Lannes was given in 1808, which he ignored and never applied for the letters patent. Then in 1815, after Waterloo, she offered her house on the rue Varenne in Paris--the opulent maison particuliere that Napoleon made his marshals buy--to Wellington as his HQ. Wellington declined. She was also very instrumental in persuading Marie-Louise not to join Napoleon, and to go back to Vienna with Naps Jr. |
Nine pound round | 08 Mar 2019 5:52 a.m. PST |
Interesting details- but not, by themselves, necessarily damning. Feel free to elaborate: I would be interested in hearing more. |
4th Cuirassier | 08 Mar 2019 8:51 a.m. PST |
She sounds like a sort of 19th century Victoria Beckham. |
MaggieC70 | 08 Mar 2019 9:23 a.m. PST |
"Interesting details- but not, by themselves, necessarily damning. Feel free to elaborate: I would be interested in hearing more." Before I get out the heavy artillery, what exactly would you consider to be "damning?" Or is the Lovely Louise beyond reproach no matter what? "She sounds like a sort of 19th century Victoria Beckham." Actually, I think of her as a pretty accurate replica of Cruella de Ville. |
Nine pound round | 08 Mar 2019 10:23 a.m. PST |
No, I didn't – and wouldn't – say that. I just don't consider those details, by themselves, to be evidence of atrocious character. In an age where there was no social safety net, I could see how someone would try to reclaim a promise a dead spouse let lapse. Many people turned against Napoleon in later years, including men who had greater cause for gratitude. It was a complicated time, and I don't feel like these two pieces of evidence, by themselves, tell the whole story. Maybe if I knew more, I would feel differently. |
deadhead | 08 Mar 2019 10:26 a.m. PST |
They were generally a remarkably unpleasant lot. Bonaparte, Wellington, Josephine, Talleyrand etc etc were not known for their humility, morals or altruism. I guess you needed to be an unpleasant SoB to get ahead back then, so they self selected. |
Nine pound round | 08 Mar 2019 10:29 a.m. PST |
Exactly – Junot stabbing his wife with a pair of scissors for cheating on him, that kind of thing. |
MaggieC70 | 08 Mar 2019 2:15 p.m. PST |
Junot was as crazy as a bedbug by the time he tried to stab Laure. And by the time she got around to dictating her wildly popular but equally incredible--for the most part--memoirs, Laure herself was addicted to laudanum, and pretty much fried. Junot's descent into insanity had been noticed contemporaneously by 1812, and Napoleon commented on it after 1813. At least poor Junot had a legitimate excuse for what he did; some other folks were just plain mean. |