Advance Guard of an Army

Meissonier, Jean-Louis-Ernest 1815 - 1891

Summary

The advance guard of an army descends a path on a bare hillside, observed by a lone horseman from the hilltop. In the far distance, to the left, a nondescript expanse of sea and an overcast sky provide little distraction to the action. The low viewpoint owes a debt to seventeenth-century Dutch genre painting such as that of Philips Wouwerman (1619-1668), in which the action is concentrated on rising ground, providing a tightly defined stage for the viewer. The device lent itself well to Meissonier's diminutive canvases, giving an impression of expansiveness in a small frame. Meissonier specialised in meticulous, small-scale military scenes, such as this. His work was greatly admired in his lifetime by both the public and the critics.