General Lasalle at the Siege of Stettin

Antoine-Jean Gros's General Lasalle at the Siege of Stettin of 1808 commemorates the audacious October 1806 capture of the Pomeranian fortress in which Lasalle's French hussars bluffed the much larger Prussian garrison into surrender with a frontal charge. Antoine-Charles-Louis de Lasalle was the most celebrated hussar officer in the French army, his reckless bravery and theatrical style making him a legend among cavalry soldiers. Gros depicted the moment of confrontation with the energy appropriate to a subject that combined military daring with psychological maneuver.

Gros captures the theatrical moment of Lasalle's bluff with dramatic gestures and careful military detail. The contrast between the small French force and the massive Prussian fortress emphasizes the audacity of the historical moment.