La Passage de la Bidassoa (16 April 1823)

(Claude-Marie Dubufe)

This scene from the Franco-Spanish War of 1823, when the French put down a republican revolt to restore Ferdinand VII to his throne, inspired Dubufe’s heroic painting. The artist’s conservative political sympathies opened him to some criticism on the part of his more radical contemporaries, but the painting was well-received at Court and guaranteed his success in aristocratic circles.

The viewer is firmly engaged on the French side, the retreating Spanish only a distant band of color against the hill. A veteran of Napoleon’s war can be seen at the extreme right below the white flag of the Bourbons, garlanded with laurel. General Val signals the command to fire to the troops along the line and on the left three soldiers fire a canon at the fleeing enemy while their officer looks on. The individualized portraits of each soldier indicate that the artist probably chose particular models for the work from among those who had participated. Acquired for Charles X by the Prefect Chabrol, this painting has passed by descent through the Royal House of Bourbon to the last private owner.

Matthiesen Gallery & Stair Sainty Matthiesen