A French Dragoon, Study for "The Revolt of Cairo"

Anne Louis Girodet-Trioson French

Not on view


This vibrant study of a French cavalry soldier lunging with his sword extended was adapted for a figure that appears at the center of Girodet’s painting "The Revolt of Cairo," a commission from Napoleon in 1809 that today hangs at the Château de Versailles. The artist’s attention to the sumptuous tactile details of the uniform in the colors of the French Republic reveals his fascination with costume. The brass helmet with faux leopard pelt identifies the subject as a dragoon, a member of the mounted infantry trained to fight on foot. The swirling black mane and red plume as well as rippling coattails emphasize the movement of the charging posture.

A French Dragoon, Study for "The Revolt of Cairo", Anne Louis Girodet-Trioson (French, Montargis 1767–1824 Paris), Pastel and conté crayon, with some stumping, on gold-colored dyed laid paper

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