Bout-oil On Canvas-signed-r.edmond Flatters-medieval Scene-departure For The Crusades-1848

Departure for the Crusades
Medieval scene
Oil on original canvas, signed and dated lower center: Flatters / 1848
Canvas size: 112 x 146 cm
Framed size: 156 x 188 cm
Presented in an original Second Empire giltwood frame, circa 1867–1868

This large-format, dramatically staged painting, signed and dated 1848, depicts a solemn medieval departure scene, likely just before a knight embarks on a crusade. Clad in shining armor, the central figure kneels before an elder—perhaps a father, abbot, or noble—surrounded by women, children, a loyal dog, and other onlookers. The setting is a richly atmospheric interior with checkered flooring, evoking a gothic great hall suffused with emotional tension and noble dignity.

The meticulous detailing of armor, textiles, gestures, and character expressions reflects the historical accuracy and dramatic realism typical of the Romantic-historicist style led by Paul Delaroche, Flatters’ mentor. Every figure is captured with studied posture and poise, as if in mid-performance of a historical tableau vivant, carefully researched and executed with academic finesse.

Trained at the Royal Academy of Arts in Düsseldorf under Karl Ferdinand Sohn, Richard Edmond Flatters (b. Saint-Cloud) moved to Paris in 1843 to study in Paul Delaroche’s atelier. He exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1845, showing a refined talent for genre and historical subjects. This painting is very likely the one listed in the 1848 Salon (no. 1692).

After the revolutionary upheavals of 1848, Flatters returned to Oldenburg, possibly out of political concern, though he continued painting scenes of both courtly history and contemporary social tension, including a rarely seen barricade scene inspired by the revolution.

This painting is housed in a sumptuous Second Empire giltwood frame, datable to 1867–1868, with excellent sculpted detail and original water-gilding. Unlike heavily ornamented models, this one is elegantly restrained, enhancing the painting without overpowering it—a rare example of balance and refinement.

• Original canvas on robust wooden stretcher with cross braces

• No relining, no major restorations noted

• Original signature and date clearly legible

• Excellent overall condition, with stable paint layer and well-preserved contrasts

• Frame in excellent structural and aesthetic condition, with minor wear consistent with age

Flatters’ work belongs to the Romantic “Troubadour” painting tradition, a style that flourished in 19th-century France with a nostalgic fascination for the Middle Ages. From the 1830s onward, artists like Delaroche popularized narrative history painting, focusing on episodes of honor, sacrifice, and chivalry.

“Departure for the Crusades” perfectly embodies this spirit: a fusion of medieval romanticism, academic precision, and emotional depth, deeply rooted in the public’s taste for evocative historical drama. It reflects the 19th-century desire to reconnect with lost ideals through carefully imagined reconstructions of the past.

This estimate reflects the painting’s:
– High quality of execution and preservation
– Exhibition at the Paris Salon of 1848
– Signed and dated provenance
– Exceptional period frame
– Growing museum and market interest in 19th-century historicist and troubadour painting

Sold with its certificate of authenticity