After Alphonse de Neuville, French school XIXth. The last ca - Lot 139

After Alphonse de Neuville, French school XIXth. The last cartridge. Episode of the fighting at Bazeilles (August 1, 1870) during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Oil on paper mounted on panel. 44 x 60 cm. The battle of Bazeilles (or combats de Bazeilles) took place from August 31, 1870 to September 1, 1870, within the more general framework of the battle of Sedan, during the Franco-Prussian war. This battle, which saw Bavarian losses superior in number to those of the French, has been retained by the military history of both countries, but not for the same reasons. On the French side, the process of immortalization owes much to the painting by the painter Alphonse de Neuville who, as early as 1873, chose to reduce the spirit of this battle to the episode of the defense of the Bourgerie Inn, where we can see Commander Lambert and a handful of men defending the house under particularly difficult conditions, and until the ammunition was completely exhausted. Before ordering the withdrawal of the few surviving combatants, the officers claimed the honor of firing the last eleven rounds of ammunition, hence the name "House of the Last Cartridge," which was popularized as one of the high points of the war.