Marshal Davout in Chudov Monastery

Held at the Museum of the Patriotic War of 1812 and undated with certainty, 'Marshal Davout in Chudov Monastery' depicts Louis-Nicolas Davout, one of Napoleon's most capable marshals, in the Chudov Monastery — a major religious complex within the Moscow Kremlin that was used as a billet by French officers during the 1812 occupation. Davout, known for his strict discipline and organizational ability, commanded the First Corps of the Grande Armée. The occupation of the Kremlin's monasteries by French troops was another charged episode in Russian historical memory of 1812. Vereshchagin's choice to paint Davout rather than Napoleon himself suggests his interest in the broader officer class of the French army rather than focusing exclusively on the emperor's experience.

The portrait of a historical military figure in a specific interior setting required Vereshchagin to combine the demands of convincing portraiture with careful historical reconstruction of Napoleonic-era uniforms and the Chudov Monastery's interior. His research-based approach to the 1812 series gave him confidence in both the figure and the setting.