Skip to main content

Head of a Soldier by Ernest Meissonier, Oil on Canvas, Signed With Monogram

Head of a Soldier by Ernest Meissonier, Oil on Canvas, Signed With Monogram

View Similar Items

Ashraf Zamzami - "Profile in Yellow" Figurative Oil Painting 16" x 26" inch by Ashraf Zamzami

Ashraf Zamzami - "Profile in Red" Figurative Oil Painting 16" x 26" inch by Ashraf Zamzami

Sofia Ruiz - UNTITLED

UNTITLED

Kamil Lisek - Gerberas - Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting, Realistic Little Girl Portrait

Gerberas - Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting, Realistic Little Girl Portrait

Luis Alexander Rodríguez (Ie-Xiua) - Oil Painting On Canvas And Gold Leaf "The Luminous Moment #1 Blue And Orange"

Oil Painting On Canvas And Gold Leaf "The Luminous Moment #1 Blue And Orange"

Sarah Detweiler - "Kaleida-Nope Mask" Two-Sided Oil painting With Woman Figure and Reflective Ends

"Kaleida-Nope Mask" Two-Sided Oil painting With Woman Figure and Reflective Ends

Sarah Detweiler - "Hyperfocus" Close-Up Portrait In Saturated Colors by Sarah Detweiler

"Hyperfocus" Close-Up Portrait In Saturated Colors by Sarah Detweiler

Hyacinthe Rigaud - Important Rococo 18th Century French portraits

Important Rococo 18th Century French portraits

Alexandre Siches - woman in profile oil on canvas painting portrait

Chen Yanning - Two Happy Sisters - Portrait of two black girls - Royal

Two Happy Sisters - Portrait of two black girls - Royal

Peter Lupkin - Portrait Of Justen - Oil Painting of Man Wearing a Beanie on Dripping Background

Portrait Of Justen - Oil Painting of Man Wearing a Beanie on Dripping Background

Emmanuel Daniel - Glamour - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Woman Hair, Modern

Glamour - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Woman Hair, Modern

Video Loading

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 15

Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier
Head of a Soldier by Ernest Meissonier, Oil on Canvas, Signed With Monogram
19th century

Price:$5,349.33

$9,437.77List Price

About the Item

Ernest Meissonier (1815–1891) was one of the most internationally successful and celebrated artists of his time – but became almost completely forgotten in the 20th century. Not until now is the name of Meissonier starting to be re-introduced to its rightful place in art history, and this sketch "Head of a Soldier" is an example of why. “–All of us will be forgotten, but Meissonier will be remembered" the painter Eugène Delacroix once said in a conversation with poet Charles Baudelaire. Back then, it was unthinkable to see Meissonier as anything else than one of the most famous and beloved artists alive. His paintings fetched the highest prices and audiences flocked to see his works on exhibitions. Through reproductions and prints the fame of Meissonier spread even wider, and when new major works were exhibited newspapers around Europe was quick to report. Napoleon III employed him as a member of the imperial court to paint military victories and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who also collected his works, said that Meissonier was “One of the greatest glories of the entire world”. John Ruskin, one of the most influential art critics of his day, was "marvelling at Meissonier's manual dexterity and eye for fascinating minutiae". So, what was it that captivated the 19th-century audience in the art of Meissonier? Formally, Meissonier belonged to the academic tradition and is mainly known for his history paintings, motifs of Napoleonic battles and victories, genre pieces and some portraits. He was both a painter and a sculptor, and also an accomplished engraver. But beyond the motifs and techniques there were other, more intangible qualities to his art. Like no one else Meissonier could produce almost cinematic artworks filled with bombastic happenings, calm poetry or psychologically precise portraits; all balancing between an extraordinary sense of detail and striking compositions. He is often compared as an artistic parallel to writer Alexandre Dumas in his unique ability to convey stories of pre-Revolutionary France, with all its honourable chivalry and heroic tales. Many of his motifs, especially the military scenes, were of great emotional value to the 19th-century audience and filled with symbols and references that have long lost their meaning. Meissonier knew how to set the scene and boil down to the perfect moment in a story where it reached its full dramatic potential. Whether he painted battle scenes or portraits, Meissoniers artworks had a curious ability to make the viewer submerged into the scene. Technically, what first seems like an extremely realistic and slightly formal way of painting is on a closer inspection shaped by fast, playful and almost carelessly performed strokes of paint that make the motifs vibrate of life. His tendency to only paint rather small formats also provided a kind of intimacy even to his more pompous sceneries. The current sketch " Head of a Soldier" shows how Meissonier masterfully built up the composition with only a few brushstrokes. The man's gaze is determined and radiates self-confidence. A detail with extra fine finesse is the end of the brushstroke that is visible at the bottom right; the stroke goes back and forth almost in a circle until the paint runs out. This technique may look simple but is very difficult to master. Meissonier likely took inspiration for this sketch from Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (called Guercino), who made several similar sketches. It is currently unknown what specific painting this sketch belong to, but as interest in Meissonier grows more research and comparisons can provide more knowledge in the future. Till then, this sketch remains a fascinating fragment of the working process behind one of the most successful yet forgotten artists of art history. Title: Head of a Soldier oil on canvas signed with monogram EM canvas dimensions 25.3 x 19,8 cm frame 40,5 x 36 cm Provenance: Schmitz-Laurent (S.V.V.), Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, 28 nov 2004, lot 15, Soldat à la bourguignotte; Drouot Paris, July 2021, Auction Art Rémy Le Fur & Associés, Lot 571.

Creator:
Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (French)
Creation Year:
19th century
Dimensions:
Height: 15.95 in (40.5 cm)Width: 14.18 in (36 cm)
Medium:
Canvas,Oil
Period:
19th Century
Framing:
Frame Included
Framing Options Available
Condition:
Fine condition, the surface is bright and clear. The frame is made by hand by the Swedish frame maker Christer Björkman.
Gallery Location:
Stockholm, SE
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU144528774522

More From This Seller

Rediscovered Mastery: A Portrait by Nina Bergstedt

Located in Stockholm, SE

This poignant portrait by Swedish artist Nina Bergstedt captures a quiet intensity that lingers in the viewer’s mind. The sitter, an unknown woman, is portrayed with deep emotional p...

Category

1890s Realist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Rediscovered Mastery: A Portrait by Nina Bergstedt

Nina Bergstedt
Rediscovered Mastery: A Portrait by Nina Bergstedt, late 1800s

$3,799

Cuzco School - A Portrait of Archangel Raphael With Fish, 1800s, Oil on Canvas

Located in Stockholm, SE

Anonymous, Cuzco School A Portrait of Archangel Raphael With Fish oil on canvas 1800s canvas dimensions 22.24 x 15.74 inches (56.5 x 40 cm) frame ...

Category

19th Century Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cuzco School - A Portrait of Archangel Raphael With Fish, 1800s, Oil on Canvas

Cuzco School - A Portrait of Archangel Raphael With Fish, 1800s, Oil on Canvas, 1800s

$4,683 Sale Price

20% Off

Free Shipping

Portrait of Alice Ritter by Ferdinand Fagerlin. Oil on Canvas

Located in Stockholm, SE

Ferdinand Fagerlin (1825-1907) Sweden Portrait of Alice Ritter, The Artists Wife oil on canvas signed with monogram painted 1862 canvas size 27.95...

Category

1860s Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Alice Ritter by Ferdinand Fagerlin. Oil on Canvas

Ferdinand Fagerlin
Portrait of Alice Ritter by Ferdinand Fagerlin. Oil on Canvas, 1862

$4,300 Sale Price

20% Off

The Seated Man – An Intimate Glimpse into Daily Life

Located in Stockholm, SE

This masterfully executed painting by Emerik Stenberg (1873–1927) captures an intimate and atmospheric moment. The composition features a seated man, engrossed in his daily chores, b...

Category

Early 20th Century Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Seated Man – An Intimate Glimpse into Daily Life

Emerik Stenberg
The Seated Man – An Intimate Glimpse into Daily Life, Early 1900s

$3,572

Free Shipping

An Apostle Painted in the Circle of Peter Paul Rubens, Oil on Canvas

Located in Stockholm, SE

Peter Paul Rubens (circle of) An Apostle circular 15.15 inches (38.5 cm) oil on canvas Provenance: Bukowskis Auctions, lot 725149, as "Peter Paul Rubens, circle of".

Category

17th Century Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

An Apostle Painted in the Circle of Peter Paul Rubens, Oil on Canvas

An Apostle Painted in the Circle of Peter Paul Rubens, Oil on Canvas, 17th century

$4,061

Free Shipping

Portrait of a Man – A Dramatic Study in Light and Expression

Located in Stockholm, SE

This compelling portrait, recently studied by Stéphane Pinta of the esteemed Cabinet Turquin in Paris, has been confidently attributed to the Austrian painter Matthäus (Matthias) Lod...

Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Man – A Dramatic Study in Light and Expression

Matthäus (Matthias) Loder
Portrait of a Man – A Dramatic Study in Light and Expression, Late 1700s

$8,243

You May Also Like

"Profile in Red" Figurative Oil Painting 16" x 26" inch by Ashraf Zamzami

By Ashraf Zamzami

Located in Culver City, CA

"Profile in Red" Figurative Oil Painting 16" x 26" inch by Ashraf Zamzami ABOUT Ashraf El Zamzami was a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Minya, and he fast made a name for h...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ashraf Zamzami
"Profile in Red" Figurative Oil Painting 16" x 26" inch by Ashraf Zamzami, 2012

$2,250

"Profile in Yellow" Figurative Oil Painting 16" x 26" inch by Ashraf Zamzami

By Ashraf Zamzami

Located in Culver City, CA

"Profile in Yellow" Figurative Oil Painting 16" x 26" inch by Ashraf Zamzami ABOUT Ashraf El Zamzami was a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Minya, and he fast made a name fo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ashraf Zamzami
"Profile in Yellow" Figurative Oil Painting 16" x 26" inch by Ashraf Zamzami, 2012

$2,250

UNTITLED

By Sofia Ruiz

Located in Los Angeles, CA

"UNTITLED" OIL AND ACRILIC ON CANVAS SIGNED 35.5 X 27.5 INCHES Sofía Ruiz was born in 1982. What she expresses through her paintings has to do with whe...

Category

2010s Surrealist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

UNTITLED

Sofia Ruiz
UNTITLED, 2015

$6,500

Gerberas - Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting, Realistic Little Girl Portrait

By Kamil Lisek

Located in Salzburg, AT

KAMIL LISEK (born in 1980) Studied under the guidance of prof. Maciej Świeszewski at the faculty of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk. He graduated with distinction obta...

Category

2010s Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Linen

Gerberas - Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting, Realistic Little Girl Portrait

Kamil Lisek
Gerberas - Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting, Realistic Little Girl Portrait, 2020

$8,362

Oil Painting On Canvas And Gold Leaf "The Luminous Moment #1 Blue And Orange"

Located in Bogotá, Bogotá

"The Luminous Moment #1 Blue and Orange" is a painting from a new series exploring the relationship between human and animal forms and two predominant complementary colors: blue and ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Oil Painting On Canvas And Gold Leaf "The Luminous Moment #1 Blue And Orange"

Luis Alexander Rodríguez (Ie-Xiua)
Oil Painting On Canvas And Gold Leaf "The Luminous Moment #1 Blue And Orange", 2025

$690

Free Shipping

"Kaleida-Nope Mask" Two-Sided Oil painting With Woman Figure and Reflective Ends

By Sarah Detweiler

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This piece titled "Kaleida-Nope Mask" is an original painted dimensional work by Sarah Detweiler and is part of Detweiler's "Spectrum of Curiosities" series, featuring whimsical port...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Mirror, Wood, Acrylic Polymer

"Kaleida-Nope Mask" Two-Sided Oil painting With Woman Figure and Reflective Ends

Sarah Detweiler
"Kaleida-Nope Mask" Two-Sided Oil painting With Woman Figure and Reflective Ends, 2025

$850

Recently Viewed

More Ways To Browse

Giovanni Francesco Barbieri

Saint Laurent Le Monogram

50s Wedding Dress

A La Place Clichy

African Soapstone Sculpture

Andre Dignimont

Andy Warhol Brooklyn Bridge

Antique Black Forest Wood Picture

Arman Paint Tubes

Bethesda Fountain

Botanical Cactus Print

View All Popular Figurative Paintings Searches