Jean Baptiste Edouard Detaille

1848 – 1912

French academic painter and military artist noted for his precision and realistic detail. He was regarded as the "semi-official artist of the French army". He was born into a prosperous family from Picardy with a military background, his grandfather having served as an arms supplier to Napoleon. He studied under Ernest Meissonier and served in the Franco-Russian war. From 1867 until his death he exhibited regularly and successfully at the Paris Salon. The example of his teacher and his involvement in the Franco-Prussian War provided the themes for this conservative artist. He executed representations of actual war events and historical scenes from the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, paintings and two panoramas with monumental battle scenes, one of which was exhibited in Paris in 1882 and the other in Vienna in 1883.

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