The Battle of Wagram
Horace Vernet captured a single charged instant in 'The Battle of Wagram,' his 1836 history painting. Napoleon Bonaparte sits mounted, a spyglass raised to one eye and a half-opened battle plan gripped in his other hand. Just behind the emperor, Jean-Baptiste Bessières has had his horse shot from under him. Violence and command share the same frame. Two questions press forward from the canvas. What was actually decided on this field? And who decided that this moment deserved to hang in paint?
In July 1809, the War of the Fifth Coalition brought French and Austrian armies into battle at Wagram. This engagement was part of the Napoleonic Wars. The Austrian forces were led by Archduke Charles. The battle ended in a French victory. The painting would eventually hang at the Palace of Versailles, in a gallery built specifically to house French military triumph.
Louis Philippe I undertook a large-scale restoration of the Palace of Versailles, converting it into a public museum during the July Monarchy. His ambition centered on filling the palace with paintings of historic French victories, housed in a dedicated gallery called the Galerie des Batailles. Vernet was commissioned to contribute three canvases: one depicting Wagram, one the Battle of Friedland, and one the Battle of Jena. The Wagram canvas was shown at the Salon of 1836. Its full French title, Bataille de Wagram, 6 Juillet 1809, embedded the battle's exact date into the work itself.
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Common questions
Who painted The Battle of Wagram?
The Battle of Wagram was painted by Horace Vernet, a French artist. He completed it in 1836 as a history painting commissioned for display at the Palace of Versailles.
What does Horace Vernet's The Battle of Wagram painting depict?
The painting shows Napoleon Bonaparte mounted on horseback, watching the battle through a spyglass while holding a half-opened battle plan in his other hand. Behind him, Jean-Baptiste Bessières has had his horse shot from under him.
Why was Vernet's The Battle of Wagram commissioned?
The painting was commissioned during the July Monarchy by Louis Philippe I, as part of his restoration of the Palace of Versailles into a public museum. He created the Galerie des Batailles to hold paintings of historic French victories.
When was The Battle of Wagram by Horace Vernet first exhibited?
The Battle of Wagram was exhibited at the Salon of 1836. It was one of three canvases Vernet produced for the Galerie des Batailles at the Palace of Versailles.
What other battles did Horace Vernet paint for the Galerie des Batailles?
Vernet was commissioned to paint three works for the Galerie des Batailles: The Battle of Wagram, The Battle of Friedland, and The Battle of Jena.
What was the outcome of the Battle of Wagram in 1809?
The Battle of Wagram, fought in July 1809, was a French victory over Austrian forces commanded by Archduke Charles. It was part of the War of the Fifth Coalition, during the wider Napoleonic Wars.
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