Oval Portrait Of A Young Soldier In Its Golden Wood Frame. End Of The 19th Century

Beautifully crafted oil on canvas representing a decorated and decorated young soldier. With a confident look, the young man characterizes the military nobility very involved in the "colonial adventure" in particular throughout the 19th century. By quoting the “dissident” historian A. Mayer, we can undoubtedly see in his attitude the “persistence of the elites of the old regime”. The families of the old nobility who were thought to be forever banned from the most prestigious ranks and high military functions, in fact recovered after the Empire (1804-1815) then retained important functions until the First War. world (1914-1918). Certainly, the “triumphant capitalism” of the emerging bourgeoisie invests in the city and in the industrial environment. However, the conservative and traditional elites maintain a foothold in the land domain and in religious and military careers. It is all the power of this “elitist tradition” which shines through in the expression of this young officer. Portrait cleaned and in "good" condition in its oval frame in gilded and beaded wood in Louis XVI style. We can generally date this elegant portrait to the years 1880-1890.