Bellange's Soldiers of the French Republic and the Empire

'Soldiers of the French Republic and the Empire', with full-page reproductions of 50 good hand-coloured wood-engraved plates by Joseph Louis Hippolyte Bellange (17 January 1800 - 10 April 1866). Bellange was an important French battle painter and printmaker. His art was influenced by the wars of Napoleon Bonaparte and, while a youth, he produced several military drawings in lithography. Afterwards he pursued his systematic studies and with the exception of some portraits, devoted himself exclusively to military and battle pieces.The 50 plates in this handsomely printed book show the soldiers of Napoleon and include portraits of Bonaparte, Eugen Beauharnais, Joachim Murat and Joseph Poniatowski. The plates are left unprinted on one side to give full justice, with no show-through, to the fine uniform plates.