Lot 160
Continental School, early 19th c., "Portrait of General Comte Louis Friant (1758-1829)", oil on canvas, unsigned, 39 in. x 29 1/4 in., in the original cove-molded giltwood frame. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815 at Waterloo, where he was again wounded, Friant retired from the French Military. In this portrait, Friant wears a blue tunic with a red collar and cuffs, complimented by silver embroidery. Each button on his tunic portrays the image of an eagle, a commonly used symbol under Napoleon's reign. In this portrait, although he is in military dress, Friant is not shown as a solider in combat. Instead, the imagery suggests Jacques-Louis David's portrait, "Napoleon in His Study", now at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Although Friant's portrait is more simplistic than Napoleon's, it mimics the pose, with the right hand in the coat, and the background, including writing instruments and papers. Note: General Friant, who was related to Napoleon Bonaparte through marriage, was also one of his leading Generals, commanding troops in important French battles such as Austerlitz, Jena-Auerstädt, Eylau, and Waterloo. Wounded in the battles of Eylau, Smolensk, and Borodino, he was awarded the Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor in 1805 and named Comte de l'Empire in 1808
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