| The Wounded Cuirassier | |
|---|---|
| French: Le Cuirassier blessé quittant le feu | |
 | |
| Artist | Théodore Géricault |
| Year | 1814 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 358 cm × 294 cm (141 in × 116 in) |
| Location | Musée du Louvre, Paris Brooklyn Museum, New York |
The Wounded Cuirassier (French: Le Cuirassier blessé quittant le feu) is an oil painting of a single anonymous soldier descending a slope with his nervous horse by the French Romantic painter and lithographer Théodore Géricault (1791–1824). In this 1814 Salon entry, Géricault decided to turn away from scenes of heroism in favor of a subject that is on the losing side of the battle. On display in the aftermath of France's disastrous military campaign in Russia, this life-size painting captured the feeling of a nation in defeat.[1] There are no visible wounds on the figure, and the title has sometimes been interpreted to refer to soldier's injured pride.[2] The painting stood in stark contrast with Géricault's Charging Chasseur, as it didn't focus on glory or the spectacle of battle. Only his Signboard of a Hoofsmith, which is currently in a private collection, bears any resemblance in form or function to this painting.[3]
The final salon version of The Wounded Cuirassier is at the Musée du Louvre and the smaller, study version, is located at the Brooklyn Museum.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ “The Wounded Cuirassier, Study (Le Cuirassier Blessé Quittant Le Feu, Esquisse).” Brooklyn Museum.
- ^ Eitner, Lorenz (August 1954). "Géricault's Wounded Cuirassier". The Burlington Magazine. Vol. 96 no. 617. pp. 236–238.