Chasseur de la Garde

Chasseur de la Garde. Sculpture by Fernando Andrea

Théodore Géricault (1791-1824) surely needs no further introduction to readers familiar with the history of art, and especially to those interested in the Napoleonic era. In fact, Géricault's famous canvas of this Officier a Chéval de la Garde could be regarded as the epitome of the flamboyant cavaliers of the Imperial wars.
This work was the first painting ever presented by Géricault at the Salon of 1812, and it is a masterly composition perfectly reflecting the grandeur of a fascinating time. The magnificent equestrian portrait depicts Alexandre Dieudonné (a friend of the painter, serving at the time as a lieutenant in this legendary regiment), looking backward and ready to order a charge in the heat of the battle.