Re Lucien Rousselot – from Edward Ryan the Text writer to NAPOLEON'S ELITE CAVALRY: Cavalry of the Imperial Guard, 1804-1815
"My family and I had the privilege of coming to know Lucien and Renée Rousselot, and to benefit from their generous hospitality, during the several years which we spent in Paris in the 1960s.
Rousselot's art combined exceptional technical skill with absolute authenticity. Over the almost 80 years of his artistic creativity, Rousselot's application of those qualities produced one of the most accurately depicted records of French military uniforms, arms and equipment as they evolved from the early 18th century to the middle of the present century.
As Rousselot began to make a name for himself in the world of military historians and artists, he became aware of the fact that some of his greatly admired predecessors had in some instances depended on questionable sources for their documentation. Consequently, in 1925 Rousselot began a systematic search in the archives of the army, where, among other things, he found samples of cloth for uniforms which had never been exposed to the fading effect of sunlight, reports of inspectors general, as well as examples of uniforms and equipment which had survived. Rousselot described his best sources as contemporary iconography, contemporary paintings, miniatures, naive portraits, archives, reports, and correspondence.
It was not long before Rousselot was accepted in the circle of French military historians and uniformologists as a leading expert on the design of French uniforms, arms, and equipment. All of this recognition did nothing, however, to alter his modest and generous attitude toward all who turned to him for assistance.
Rousselot's chef d'oeuvre, for which he is most widely known, was his series of 106 plates (Planches) on the uniforms, arms and equipment of the French army – L'Armée Francaise – ses Uniformes – son Armement – son Equipment.
However, I first became aware of the ninety-one Rousselot paintings of the four elite regiments of Napoleon's Guard cavalry – those presented in Napoleon's Elite Cavalry – in 1988, when I visited the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection for the purpose of examining its large collection of sheets of paper soldiers. Whilst browsing amongst the stacks and shelves, I spotted a thick, green folder with an embossed gold Napoleonic eagle on its cover. I was astonished to find that it contained original Rousselot paintings, the existence of which I had been totally unaware. The paintings were done by Rousselot on commission from Mrs. Anne Brown, and delivered to her in 1957. It seems probable that he had been working on them for some time, perhaps several years previously.
I was struck by the fact that this very rich pictorial material, produced by France's arguably greatest living military artist on a subject of great interest, was almost totally unknown to ? and unavailable to, under the prevailing circumstances ? the admirers of Lucien Rousselot's work.
I wrote to Rousselot about my discovery, expressing the hope that it would be possible to arrange for the paintings publication. Rousselot replied that he would like very much to see them published.
I greatly regret that the fulfillment of that aspiration, expressed ten years ago, has come too late for my friend to be able to share my gratification at seeing its realization."
Yes – Rouselot does give his sources e.g. the Carabinier Sergant-Major flag-bearer of 21st Legere is based on Zimmerman.
