Lost Oil Painting “Von Bredow’s Death Ride, August 16th, 1870” by Jules Bastien-LePage Original Items

Original Item: Only one available. Over 20 years ago this 30″ x 50″ oil painting was found in an Estate Sale in neglected and quite dirty condition. For years it remained unidentified but recent restoration and research have now uncovered a long lost oil painting by Renowned French Artist Jules Bastien-LePage (1848-1884) of what has become to be known as “The Last True Cavalry Charge in Europe”.

The canvas shows a magnificent German Cavalry Charge of Cuirassiers and Uhlans against French Artillery positions during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. This Charge, although not renowned in the U.S., was in fact a near miracle of great courage and military tactics. A small force of only 600 mounted Germans successfully charged some 30,000 French soldiers including 3,100 French Cavalry bringing the entire French Army of 130,000 men to a dead stop. Well documented, the Germans claimed a great victory and the French then also claimed the action as a great success purely on the basis that it was not seen, from a French point of view, as a complete rout!

This Painting is signed by Jules Bastien-Lepage, who was only 22 years old at the time of the charge, and was actually a serving French Infantryman, no doubt having being a witness to the actual event. This is the only recorded work of his of a Military nature however he gained considerable recognition in his short life being memorialized by the Irish-American sculptor; Augustus Saint-Gaudens in a bronze plaque and there is also a life size bronze of the artist by the very famous Frenchman Auguste Rodin currently in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The painting has been professionally cleaned, restored and re framed in a gilt 36″ x 56″ frame.

This amazing attack, by so few upon so many by Von Bredow’s cavalry, was considered a masterstroke that it has been the subject of “ACHIEVEMENTS OF CAVALRY” Published 1897 by the legendary British General Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C. and in “CAVALRY STUDIES FROM TWO GREAT WARS” Published 1896 referring to The Franco-Prussian War and the Gettysburg Campaign.

We have been lead to believe that this is the only known oil painting of this famous charge and, as already mentioned, its very existence has only recently come to light. Included with the painting, is a Research Report showing copies of photographs of Major General Friedrich Von Bedlow, the Prussian Commander himself, a copy of an oil portrait of the Artist and a photograph of a Bronze Bas Relief of him. Additionally we include a full report on the actual engagement, as copies of the two publications mentioned above contained in separate ring binders, over 250 pages in total.

This is a remarkable historically significant Oil Painting Circa 1870 of a hugely critical historical military event by a celebrated artist of the period who only lived to the age of 36. The whole beautifully presented, ready to display and accompanied by extensive research.