A Republican Sentinel of the Army of Var

Painting

-

Drexel Founding Collection

Name/Title

A Republican Sentinel of the Army of Var

Entry/Object ID

26

Acquisition

Source (if not Accessioned)

Anthony J. Drexel, Philadelphia

Notes

Date: 1893 Credit Line: Bequest of Anthony J. Drexel Means of Accession: Bequest

Made/Created

Artist

Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier

Date made

1874

Place

Country

France

Continent

Europe

Dimensions

Height

37 in

Width

32-1/2 in

Dimension Notes

H, W: 19 1/2x15 1/4 in; H, W: 49.53x38.74 cm; Framed: 37x32 1/2 in

Height

19-1/2 in

Width

15-1/4 in

Height

49.53 cm

Width

38.74 cm

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Cultural/Historical Context

Label

A watercolor by Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, a world-renowned French artist, depicting a Grenadier of the French Revolution’s Army of the Var, standing guard over the River Var in southern France near the Italian border. While the Army of the Var did not see much action, this painting, made in 1874, made the journey into the hands of Anthony J. Drexel within five years, who acquired it by auction in 1879 for $2,100, or over $58,000 in 2024. Gregory Back, Game Design '25