Royal Guard, Norman Mounted Grenadier and Horse, No. 1 c. 1818

Editor: Here we have Carle Vernet's "Royal Guard, Norman Mounted Grenadier and Horse, No. 1," circa 1818. It looks like a lithograph on paper. It has an interesting quality... very precise, but with a hint of playfulness, especially in the horse's expression. What do you make of it? Curator: Playfulness is a good way to describe Vernet. Imagine him sketching this! There's this deep respect for military bearing – the posture, the uniform… yet, I get the sense he’s also enjoying the sheer absurdity of it all. Doesn't the horse seem to have more personality than the rider? I see a satire of sorts, wrapped in beautiful draughtsmanship. I think this comes through the technique – that very light, quick pencil work. Have you noticed it too? Editor: I see that. And the fur cap on the soldier seems a bit too big, almost comical. Do you think he was deliberately poking fun at the French military, or was he celebrating it? Curator: Both, perhaps? Think of the historical context. Vernet lived through the Revolution, Napoleon, the Restoration… a total rollercoaster! Artists responded in wonderfully complicated ways to that time. The image embodies the complex mix of reverence and ironic distance towards power so common then. Maybe he found the pomposity and grandeur a bit much after all the upheaval. I can see him thinking about that time in his personal sketchbook. Editor: So, it's not just a drawing of a soldier on a horse, but also a reflection on French history? Curator: Precisely! It's a snapshot of a changing society trying to find its footing. And the quirky sketch allows us a peek into Vernet’s own witty and perhaps weary, observations. A wink from the past! Editor: I never thought about it that way before. Thanks, that really changed how I see it. Curator: Me too, these historical glimpses are always the most surprising and rewarding.