Artwork
Military Costumes: Carabiners Sargent, General Guide
Military Costumes: Carabiners Sargent, General Guide is a print by the Romanticist artist Nicolas Toussaint Charlet. It dates from 1818 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Nicolas‑Toussaint Charlet’s 1818 print, titled Military Costumes: Carabiners Sargent, General Guide, depicts a disciplined column of French soldiers. The composition centers on a front‑rank figure bearing a plain flag and wearing a tall black shako with a white plume, while the rest of the unit advances in uniform, rifles at the ready. The work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a stylized view of early‑nineteenth‑century infantry, emphasizing order and collective identity. By foregrounding the flag‑bearer, Charlet underscores the symbolic role of the standard in rallying troops, while the uniformity of the ranks reflects the military’s emphasis on cohesion and hierarchy during the post‑Napoleonic era.
Technique & Style
Executed as a print, Charlet employs crisp line work to delineate the soldiers’ equipment and the flag’s geometry. The contrast between the dark coats and lighter breeches, together with the sharply rendered shadows beneath the shako brims, typifies the precise, almost diagrammatic approach common to French military illustration of the period.
History & Provenance
Created in 1818, shortly after the Bourbon Restoration, the print was likely intended as a reference for uniform design or as a didactic illustration for military manuals. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains a documented example of Charlet’s contribution to French martial visual culture.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolas-Toussaint Charlet was a French painter and printmaker, more especially of military subjects.
