Napoleon I At The Battle Of Montereau (napoleonic Engravings No.

Napoleon I at the Battle of Montereau on February 18, 1814: This is a famous scene immortalized in the painting by Horace Vernet, which was reproduced (like all engravings, in order to make the painting accessible to as many people as possible) by the engraver and publisher Jean-Pierre Jazet (1788–1871) Paris, circa 1830. Having said that, it is necessary to explain the details of the scene, which is of interest to all enthusiasts of Napoleonic history.The Battle of Montereau was an episode in the French campaign of the Sixth Coalition. It pitted 20,000 to 25,000 French troops against the coalition forces (Austria and Württemberg) (15,000 to 18,000 men and fifty cannons). The town of Montereau was a strategic point and a key objective: it possessed bridges essential for crossing the Seine and blocking the road to Paris. Napoleon personally led the offensive.A cavalry charge and ARTILLERY FIRE on the Surville plateau enabled the French to capture the bridges intact. It was a French victory and Napoleon’s last major victory on French soil during the 1814 Campaign.The image of Napoleon personally aiming a cannon during this battle has remained famous in Bonapartist iconography. Black lithograph on paper. H: 75 x W: 88 cm; visible engraving: 57 x 67 cm