01 Work, The Art of War, Paul-Louis-Narcisse Grolleron's Dragoons breaking from battle, with footnotes

Paul-Louis-Narcisse Grolleron (French, 1848-1901)

Dragoons breaking from battle

Oil on panel

14 ¼ x 10 5/8 in. (36 x 27 cm.)

Private collection

Sold for GBP 2,750 in May 2016

Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat with swords and firearms from horseback. While their use goes back to the late 16th century, dragoon regiments were established in most European armies during the 17th and early 18th centuries; they provided greater mobility than regular infantry but were far less expensive than cavalry. More on Dragoons 

Paul Louis-Narcisse Grolleron, a pupil of Léon Bonnat, received considerable public acclaim during his lifetime for his sincere and highly finished battle scenes. He exhibited at the Salon de Paris from 1873.

The French Painter and Illustrator, Paul Grolleron, remains best known for his many well-observed images of the Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870-May 10, 1871), which varied in mood between the quotidian, the dramatic, and the poignant.

Paul Grolleron was born in Seignelay, in the Yonne region of Burgundy, France on June 14, 1848. He intended to become a decorative artist, but his studies in Paris under the influential teacher and portrait painter, Leon Bonnat, led him to specialize in genre paintings, which he exhibited at the Salon from 1873 on.

Increasingly he focused on historical and military subjects, particularly scenes of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 which were appreciated by both the public and the academic juries. He won a 3rd place medal at the Salon of 1886, a bronze medal at the exposition Universelle of 1889, and a second place medal 'hors concours' at the Salon of 1894.

Paul Grolleron died suddenly in Paris on October 28, 1901. He is said to have been married to the actress, Martha Dufrene, who died in 1904. More on Paul Grolleron

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