Jean-Baptiste-Detaille was a master of French military painters. Detaille was born in Picardy into a prosperous family with a military background. His father set him up with Ernest Meissonier who showed him finesse of execution and an appreciation for precise observation. Detaille obtained a staff position, at the start of the Franco-Prussian War (1870) which would provide him with an indelible experience to observe the hostilities of war first hand. This experience proved to be the mainstay of his artistic output over his lifetime.

Detaille made trips to Austria, England and Russia researching the uniforms and military customs of those places, but his love of the French Army held his most attention. In ...