#grenadiers

[illustratus]

The Return by Wojciech Kossak

[paintingsandhistory]

Bonaparte, First Consul, Distributes Swords of Honor to the Grenadiers of his Guard after the Battle of Marengo (June 14, 1800)

Artist: Antoine-Jean Gross (French, 1771-1835)

Date: 1803

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Description

The painting depicts a troop review held on June 16, 1800 (27 Prairial, An VIII), at the camp in San Giuliano-Vecchio, where Napoleon distributed weapons of honor to the bravest soldiers of his Guard two days after the battle.

About the Artist: Antoine-Jean Gros (1771–1835) was a French painter who bridged Neoclassicism and Romanticism, renowned as the primary painter of the Napoleonic epic. His style evolved from dramatic, vibrant, and emotional propaganda scenes to stricter, restrained neoclassicism, characterized by strong color, intense light, and pioneering thematic elements that influenced Eugène Delacroix.

[ripstefano]

Swedish Officers of Life Grenadier Regiment and Grenadier Corps c.1813

Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars in Colour 1796-1814, Illustrated by Jack Cassin Scott

Soldiers of the best Jean-Baptiste, my Bernabro

[napolebonasacc]

Foot Grenadier of the Imperial Guard

By Dmitry Slepushkin

[clove-pinks]

Don Troiani starts a post with "My grand nephew hates British grenadiers."

[postcard-from-the-past]

Grenadiers at the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

Russian vintage postcard

[blue-and-gilt]

French Grenadier Officers' Sabre - Petite Montmorency style. Circa 1788 - 1800.

The social upheaval in France during the late 18th century was pervasive through all levels of society. People were abandoning the old and adopting a number of new styles and fashions to display their allegiance to which ever faction the belonged to; the (soon to be executed) king, the revolution, or some variation of the politics at the time.

One of these changes in fashion began around 1784 with infantry officers giving up their model 1767 smallsword in favour of non-regulation sabres, often based on the styles copied from the cavalry. The rotating guard hilts were one such example.

With the Royal decree of April 1788 permitting the use of sabres by the infantry we see another type appear, swords with slotted hilts and sidebars that often feature military emblems such as the light infantry hunters horn or the grenadiers flaming bomb. While others (normally associated with the National Guard) display elaborate political symbolism like Roosters or lions with the Phrygian cap; icons of bravery, the French State and the revolution.

Because these sabres were non-regulation, they don't follow a set pattern; and can be plain or very ornate. Seeking to classify them, collectors of the late 19th Century noted that many swords in this style had blades that matched the profile of the Montmorency Dragoons; a curved blade with a central fuller and a secondary fuller running close to the spine.

Since they were carried by infantry or National Guard officers, on the whole this style of sabre are shorter than the dragoon type, thus earning them the petite montmorency moniker. As with many such arbitrary names, its meaning has expanded in use to cover a wider group of swords that are broadly similar but don't follow exactly the same features. This sword is such an example. The slotted hilt and guard are very typical with the helmet pommel, sidebars and flaming bomb. However because the blade is has no fuller, it can't be said to have a true montmorency blade. Still, it is the best grouping we have for this sword. This sword is a handy weapon, just shy of 80cm long with a 66cm blade. The lack of a fuller means is weighs 750 grams, giving it a lot of presence in the hand. The blade engraved with the word Grenadier on one side and flaming bomb with a trophy and bomb on the other; otherwise it is very plain.

On the spine there is an arrow wrapped in a scroll, which I assume to be related to the maker. I'm sure I've seen this mark before but now I can't find the source. If you know what it means, please let me know.

Stats: Overall Length - 795 mm Blade Length - 655 mm Curve - 15 mm Point of Balance - 140 mm Grip Length - 142 mm Inside Grip Length - 105 mm Weight - 750 grams

[deutschland-im-krieg]

"Enlist as a volunteer into the Grenadier regiment Feldherrnhalle." Period postcard (my collection)