The Death of Prince Poniatowski

Painting by Horace Vernet

The Death of Prince Poniatowski

Artist	Horace Vernet
Year	1816
Type	Oil on canvas, history painting
Dimensions	65.5 cm × 82 cm (25.8 in × 32 in)
Location	Private collection

The Death of Prince Poniatowski (French: La Mort du prince Józef Poniatowski) is an 1816 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts the death of the Polish general Józef Poniatowski at the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813. Recently promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Empire by Napoleon, Poniatowski was ordered to defend the city of Leipzig during the battle. He drowned in the River Elster after covering the chaotic attempt to break out following Napoleon's defeat.

Poniatowski was a nephew of the last king of Poland Stanisław August Poniatowski. He fought with the Grande Armée Following the defeat of Prussia in 1806-07 he was appointed Minister of War and commander-in-chief of the newly-formed Grand Duchy of Warsaw. Under Napoleon's general leadership he took part in the War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809 and the Invasion of Russia His death at Leipzig gave birth to the Napoleonic legend in Poland, which didn't regain its independence until the end of the First World War. The painting was exhibited at the Salon of 1817.

References

Królewski p.256
Harkett & Hornstein p.209
Jędrysiak p.424
Wandycz p.60
Ruutz-Rees p.46

Bibliography

Harkett, Daniel & Hornstein, Katie (ed.) Horace Vernet and the Thresholds of Nineteenth-Century Visual Culture. Dartmouth College Press, 2017.
Królewski, Zamek. Semper Polonia: l'art en Pologne des lumières au romantisme (1764-1849).. Somogy, 2004.
Jędrysiak, Jacek. Prussian Strategic Thought 1815–1830: Beyond Clausewitz. BRILL, 12 Oct 2020
Ruutz-Rees, Janet Emily. Horace Vernet. Scribner and Welford, 1880.
Wandycz, Piotr S. The Lands of Partitioned Poland, 1795-1918. University of Washington Press, 1975.

v t e Horace Vernet
Paintings	The Death of Prince Poniatowski (1816) The Dog of the Regiment Wounded (1819) Massacre of the Mamelukes (1819) The Gate at Clichy (1820) L'Atelier (1821) Napoleon's Tomb (1821) Portrait of Marshal Saint-Cyr (1821) The Battle of Jemappes (1821) The Battle of Montmirail (1822) Joseph Vernet Tied to a Mast During a Storm (1822) Allan M'Aulay (1823) Duck Shooting (1824) The Battle of Hanau (1824) The Battle of Valmy (1826) Edith Recovering Harold's Body after the Battle of Hastings (1827) The Battle of Bouvines (1827) The Battle of Fontenoy (1828) Portrait of Louise Vernet (1830) Italian Brigands Surprised by Papal Troops (1831) Raphael at the Vatican (1832) The Battle of Friedland (1835) The Battle of Jena (1836) The Battle of Wagram (1836) Napoleon at the Tuileries (1838) The Siege of Antwerp (1840) Louis Philippe and His Sons (1846)
Related	Carle Vernet (father) Joseph Vernet (grandfather) Galerie des Batailles Military art Orientalism

Horace Vernet

Paintings

The Death of Prince Poniatowski (1816)
The Dog of the Regiment Wounded (1819)
Massacre of the Mamelukes (1819)
The Gate at Clichy (1820)
L'Atelier (1821)
Napoleon's Tomb (1821)
Portrait of Marshal Saint-Cyr (1821)
The Battle of Jemappes (1821)
The Battle of Montmirail (1822)
Joseph Vernet Tied to a Mast During a Storm (1822)
Allan M'Aulay (1823)
Duck Shooting (1824)
The Battle of Hanau (1824)
The Battle of Valmy (1826)
Edith Recovering Harold's Body after the Battle of Hastings (1827)
The Battle of Bouvines (1827)
The Battle of Fontenoy (1828)
Portrait of Louise Vernet (1830)
Italian Brigands Surprised by Papal Troops (1831)
Raphael at the Vatican (1832)
The Battle of Friedland (1835)
The Battle of Jena (1836)
The Battle of Wagram (1836)
Napoleon at the Tuileries (1838)
The Siege of Antwerp (1840)
Louis Philippe and His Sons (1846)

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