Mounted Trumpeters of Napoleon's Imperial Guard
Théodore Géricault·1813/1814
Historical Context
Théodore Géricault painted these mounted trumpeters of Napoleon's Imperial Guard in 1813-14, during the final campaigns of the Napoleonic era. Géricault was obsessed with horses and military subjects, and these magnificently equipped cavalrymen allowed him to combine both passions. The work captures the spectacle of Napoleon's elite guard at a moment when the empire was collapsing — lending the image a poignancy beyond its immediate martial subject.
Technical Analysis
Géricault renders the mounted trumpeters with dynamic energy, his vigorous brushwork capturing the movement of horses and the glint of brass instruments and military regalia. The rich, warm palette and bold handling demonstrate his early mastery of the Rubensian approach to equestrian painting.
Provenance
Édouard Napoléon César Edmond Mortier, duc de Trévise [1883-1946], by 1937;[1] (sale, Galerie Charpentier, Paris, 19 May 1938, no 25, bought in); given to his relative, probably Jean, Comte Budes de Guébriant [b. 1911], Buenos Aires;[2] sold to Francisco Gowland Llobet, Buenos Aires; on consignment 1971 to (Galerie Schmit, Paris); purchased 19 July 1972 by NGA. [1] The painting had its first public exhibition as no. 30 of the Gericault exhibition held at the Galerie Bernheim Jeune in Paris in 1937. It was at that time owned by the duc de Trévise. The fact that it had not figured in any of the previous exhibitions to which de Trévise had lent works by Gericault from his collection, notably the _Exposition d'oeuvres de Géricault_ held in 1924 at the Hôtel Jean Charpentier of which he had been the chief organizer, suggests that he acquired _Trumpeters_ sometime between 1924 and 1937. Its earlier history is not known. [2] According to a letter dated 6 July 1972 from Robert Schmidt of the Galerie Schmidt, the duc de Trévise gave the painting to "his relative" the Comte de Guébriant. In 1904, the duc's sister married Vicomte Hervé Budes de Gurbriant, with whom she had one daughter and two sons, Jean and Alain. Of the three Comtes (Comte is used as a courtesy title instead of Vicomte) extant between 1937 and 1972, Jean was the only one with a Buenos Aires address.
