Engraving with Scene of the Maneuvers of the French Imperial Guard in Tilsit. Year 1820

This fine antique engraving, with original coloring and in good condition, was made in France in 1820. It's framed. The engraving depicts the maneuvers of the French Imperial Guard in Tilsit in 1807. It is a great reproduction of Carle Horace Vernets picture, engraved by the French artist Edme Bovinet (1767-1832). We can see the inscription Bovinet Sculp. In the right bottom corner of the work. Bovinet was a French engraver, pupil of Jean-Baptiste Patas, quite noted for his engravings depicting works of famous Italian, French and Dutch painters. Some of his works can be seen in the Gallery of the Museum of Napoleon. As stated before, this particular engraving reproduces a picture by Carle Horace Vernet (1758-1835), a famous French painter known for his big-format pictures depicting battles and moments of the Napoleonic Wars. Many of these pictures were later reproduced in engravings, in order to be printed and published. Vernet accompanied the French army in some of their campaigns, for example in the War of Crimea, and was an official illustrator that would later turn his drawings into pictures. The engraving that we can see in these images reproduces one of his works, a scene of the maneuvers of the Napoleonic Imperial Guard in Tilsit in 1807. The Treaty of Tilsit, that was signed shortly after the scene that this work reflects, turned this place in a Free City nominally under the control of Prussia. Tilsit was a city of strategic importance as it was a major source of supplies for the French army during the War of the Sexth Coalition. The Napoleonic army needed to keep Tilsit under control so the Prussian would continue to be neutral and would not join the coalition, what they eventually did. The engraving shows the balanced distribution of the troops, the display of the different units and the movement of the horses, realistic and beautifully performed. The landscape and the colors are quite attractive and make up a piece of high artistic and historic interest. A work of art and a historic document, this engraving will be highly appreciated by collectors and art lovers. Measurements: Engraving: Width: 15.3 in/39 cm. Height: 11.2 in/28.5 cm. Frame: Width: 22.8 in/58 cm. Height: 18.7 in/47.5 cm.