A Gorgeous Oil on Canvas rendition of the Battle of Bunker Hill by Alphonse Lalauze.
Alphonse Lalauze was a painter born in Paris on June 21, 1872.
The son of the engraver Adolphe Lalauze, he was a student of Edouard Detaille, a military painter.
He was also a founding member of the Society of Military Painters and Painters of the Ministry of War and contributed to illustrated newspapers and went on missions to the Somme, Alsace, Lorraine, and Champagne in 1915, 1917, and 1918.
Indeed, from the first months of the Great War, the Army Museum organized missions to send artists to the front to study the events of the war and the physiognomy of the combatants.
These painters generally traveled in pairs, by car or train. For these missions, these volunteer painters received no salary or allowance.
They were, however, awarded the title of “Painter to the Ministry of War.”
Alphonse Lalauze participated in the exhibitions of the Salon des Artistes Français, of which he became a member. He received a mention in 1899 and a medal in 1900.
That same year, he also received a mention at the Universal Exhibition.
The quality of his graphic design earned him the distinction of illustrating several works, including The History of the Emperor Told by an Old Soldier by Honoré de Balzac, whose original watercolors by Alphonse Lalauze were engraved by his father Adolphe, and Military Costumes of the French Army. He was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1931.
He died in Marvejols, in 1936.
Alphonse Lalauze provides us with a poignant account of a historic battle scene, considered one of the bloodiest of the war between the British and the American revolutionary forces, near Boston at Bunker Hill.
The British attempted to take the position several times, and it was only on the third attempt that their efforts were successful, leaving behind many casualties.
This depiction by Alphonse Lalauze suggests that this was the first or second assault, as the British troops are shown turning back. During the first two assaults, the British troops were wearing heavy equipment, including backpacks, which made them difficult to move.
The artist perfectly captures the atmosphere of the scene; the emotion and fear of the soldiers on the front lines are particularly evident.
However, Colonel William Prescott is depicted in all his grandeur, proud and majestic, courageously facing the battlefield.
He is a legend and an honor to all who respect and venerate this sacred land…
A statue was erected in his honor in the town of Charlestown, Massachusetts.
Original oil on canvas bearing the Blanchet House stamp, signed lower right, in a gilt wood frame.
Unframed 39 X 32
Framed 47 X 39