Currently not on view
The Sentry (La Vedette),
1890
Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier, French, 1815–1891
y1957-62
A history painter, portraitist, and sculptor, Meissonier had particular success with military scenes, thanks to a meticulous realism. In addition to Napoleonic battles, he painted scenes from his own time, such as this sentry from a light infantry regiment (voltigeur) and two of his fellows on guard duty beneath a gray sky. An engraving of this scene attests to its appeal to audiences of the time.
Information
Title
The Sentry (La Vedette)
Dates
1890
Medium
Oil on wood panel
Dimensions
45 × 33 cm (17 11/16 × 13 in.)
frame: 61.1 × 50.8 × 6.3 cm (24 1/16 × 20 × 2 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, John Maclean Magie, Class of 1892, and Gertrude Magie Fund
Object Number
y1957-62
Place Made
Europe, France
Marks/Labels/Seals
Wax seal with impression on verso: Vente Meissonier 1893
Culture
Type
Materials
(Parke-Bernet Galleries); 1957 museum purchase.
- Catalogue des tableaux, études peintes, aquarelles et dessins composant l'atelier Meissonnier, (Paris: G. Petit, 1893)., p. 55, no. 211
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Octave Gréard, Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, ses souvenirs -- ses entretiens: précédés d'une étude sur sa vie et son oeuvre, par O. Gréard, (Paris: Hachette, 1897).
, Page 415 contains an alternate title ("Voltigeur en faction dans la tranchée"), page 407 a work with the title listed in TLS ("La vedette"). - A collection of paintings representing leading masters of the early English and modern european schools especially selected from the Sedelmeyer Galleries: on exhibition at the Ortgies Galleries ... from April 9th to April 14th, 1898 ..., (New York: Ortgies Galleries?, 1898)., no. 21
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Old masters and XIX century paintings: British XVIII century works, including examples by Reynolds, Marshall, Gainsborough ; XIX century genre, sporting and other pictures by Ridgway Knight, George Wright, J.C. Maggs, Ziem, Couture, Lenbach...January 23 at 8 p.m., (New York: Parke-Bernet, 1952).
, no. 95 - Frances Follin Jones, "Recent aquisitions of Ancient Art", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University, 17, no. 1 (1958): p. 41–43., p. 43
- Reality, fantasy & flesh: tradition in nineteenth century art, (Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky, 1973)., p. 6; p. 13, cat. no. 39; p. 28 (illus.)
