La Belle Alliance 1842

H. Gérard’s lithograph, “La Belle Alliance, prés de Waterloo” depicts the site of a pivotal moment in European history. Created in 1842, it reflects on the Battle of Waterloo, which had occurred nearly three decades earlier and reshaped the political landscape of the continent. The image, seemingly a pastoral scene, is laden with the weight of its historical context. La Belle Alliance was the inn where Prussian and British forces met to celebrate their victory over Napoleon. Gérard’s choice to depict it as a simple, rural setting subtly hints at the complex social fabric underpinning these grand historical narratives. We see figures engaged in everyday activities: minding sheep, carrying goods, and tending to horses. These depictions underscore the crucial, yet often overlooked, roles of ordinary people in extraordinary events. It asks us to reflect on who is remembered in history, and whose stories are left untold. The quietness of the scene offers a moment to contemplate the human element within the broader sweep of history.