Jaybo Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Gentlemen, I recently obtained a letter signed by Marshal Ney. I would like to frame it with a print of the famous portrait of Ney by Baron Gerard. However, despite all the poster/print companies out there on the net with various depictions of Ney, nobody has a print of the Gerard portrait for sale (unless you want to buy some hack's oil painting repro). Does anyone have any ideas? I have well over 100 books on the subject and I can't find out where the original is today (a possible lead for prints?). I have the two excellent volumes by the late Colonel Willing on 'Les Invalides' which seem to indicate that it may be there (I don't remember seeing it when last there in 2003). Any help would be greatly appreciated! Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinRF Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) Jay - see posts 107 and 108 un this string. http://gmic.co.uk/in...ndpost&p=328051 There is a fine Gerard Ney in the Albany Institute of History and Art in NY. It was once owned by Citizen Genet, Mme Ney's uncle. They also own a companion portrait of Mme Ney by Gerard. I also posted the copy of the Gerard I own that was painted by Albany portrait artist Ezra Ames c. 1809. Another Gerard studio copy is in the Musee de L'Armee in Paris - see http://www.photo.rmn...bE=2C6NU0B6KXNJ The RMN is a great link for finding French art in state collections. Here is the catalogue data to the Paris piece. Image number : 06-511943 Inventory Number : 3497 DEP ; EaCollection : Paintings Title : Michel Ney (1769-1815), duc d'Elchingen, prince de la Moskowa, maréchal de l'Empire Description : Peint vers 1805 Author : Gérard François Pascal Simon, baron (1770-1837) (atelier de) Photo Credit : © Paris - Musée de l'Armée, Dist. RMN / image musée de l'Armée Period : First Empire (1804-1814) Technic/Material : oil on canvas Height : 0.650 m Length : 0.550 m. Location : Paris, musée de l'Armée I personally prefer the AIHA version. Colin Edited January 30, 2011 by ColinRF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinRF Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) I just rememberd that I have an interesting old journal article on Ney's connection with Citizen Genet that I could scan and post if you would find it interesting. It has a litho of the painting. Let me know. Thanks Colin Edited January 30, 2011 by ColinRF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybo Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 Colin, Thanks very much for your responses. I will contact both museums to see if they offer prints of Ney for sale or whether they can send me a digital photo of it for reproduction. I imagine that just reproducing it from the web won't give me quite the resolution necessary. As far as the scan of the story how the Ney portrait came to the US, I would indeed be interested. By the way, I very much enjoyed your figure as well. Do you ever attend the Chicago Show in October? All the best, Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinRF Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Thanks for the nice words on my Ney figure. No I have never attended Chicgao but I have always wanted to. I guess is a bucket list item for me. On the AIHA site there is a link to pricing for photos - if they have to take one its pricey but less so if they have one already (I know they will have one because they sent me the one I posted when I was corresponding with them about my Ney). http://www.albanyinstitute.org/z-%20aiha%20website/9-information/information.rights_files/IMAGE%20AND%20USAGE%20FEES%202011.pdf When I looked at the article I have I realized it more focused on Ney's execution but here it is anyway. Cheers Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinRF Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) Thanks for the kind words about my figure. Its probably my best as Michel Ney is a special interest of mine. My wife says we took him on our honeymoon because I was reading a bio of him and never go anywhere without a book. I have not been to the Chicago show which is a real shame as I am close up here in the Toronto area. Its on my bucket list I guess. Here is a link to AIHA's prices for photography - they are steep. But they charge less for personal use when they have already taken a photo - which they have. http://www.albanyins...FEES%202011.pdf I have posted the 1896 article below - although it deals more with the execution of Ney than the history of the portrait. Enjoy Colin Edited January 30, 2011 by ColinRF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinRF Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 page 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinRF Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) page 3 Edited January 30, 2011 by ColinRF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Jaybo Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Hello Colin, Thanks for posting that wonderful article. I too, have been fascinated by 'le Brave des braves' since I was a little boy. Alyhough he is not my favorite (that would be Davout), he was along with Lannes the bravest. Also, he had an obviously tragic end. Napoleon's words on his fate only go to further debase the accomplishments of 'le petit corporal' in my view. So what do you think is my best option for getting a print of Gerard's portrait of Ney? All the best, Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinRF Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I would probably just print a copy off the net. If you want a picture from the AIHA or MdlA, I would see how much RMN wants for a decent scan but you have to open an account to do that. AIHA is worth writing too as well. BTW - My favourite Ney book is "The Trial of Marshal Ney" 1957 by Kurtz - great book on how he got railroaded after the 100 days and how he got executed, Highly recommended. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybo Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 Hi Colin, I'll start with RMN and see what it will take. I'll let you know how I fare. My Ney letter with signature should arrive anytime now from France. I have never heard of that book on Ney. I have Foster's bio on Ney as well as the works on Napoleon's Marshals by Chandler & Delderfield. My read on it is that Ney indeed was (along with Labedoyere)a scapegoat/example for the Bourbons to hold up to recalitrant Bonapartists. Lois XVIII pulled his punches in 1814 but not at the end of 1815. Currently, I am reading Phil Mansel's "Paris Between Empires-1814-52". The guy is clearly a monarchist but has done his homework. I have also read his bio on Louis XVIII and a couple other of his works. I would recommend his work to you if your knowledge needs 'fleshing out' from the Bourbon perspective. All the best, Jay P.S.- I generally make it to the Chicago Show every year. It is wonderful to talk with like-minded folk. Maybe one of these years you can make it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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