Monday, 13 September 2010

Alma detail

Interesting detail from a painting of the Alma.

Bataille de l'Alma, 20 septembre 1854
le général Le roy de Saint-Arnaud fait attaquer la position du télégraphe par les divisions du prince Napoléon, Canrobert et Forey
Bellangé Joseph-Louis-Hippolyte (1800-1866)
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  1. Charles13 September 2010 at 09:43

    It’s strange that this French text refers to Saint-Arnaud as a general, since he had been made a Marshal of France in December 1852, partly in recognition of his role in Napoleon III’s coup the previous year.

    The Marshal’s staff shown here includes two British officers, one in a red coat with a cocked hat and the other in a blue frock coat with a peaked cap. Saint-Arnaud’s fanion de commandement (command flag) is being carried by a Chasseur d’Afrique. The Marshal has a personal escort of spahis. French generals seem to have liked this – maybe they thought it gave them some extra oriental glamour.

    In this detail from Bellangé’s painting, all we can see of Saint-Arnaud are the hind quarters of his grey horse, which was called Nador.

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