Felician von Myrbach-Rheinfeld (1853 – 1940) Passage of Napoleon and his army over the Berezina

Felician von Myrbach-Rheinfeld (Zaleszczyki, 1853 – Klagenfurt, 1940)

Passage of Napoleon and his army on the Berezina

Oil on canvas, 42 x 72 cm

With frame, 55 x 85 cm

Felician von Myrbach-Rheinfeld (Zaleszczyki, 1853 – Klagenfurt, 1940) was an Austrian painter, graphic designer and illustrator, one of the founding members of the Vienna Secession, as well as director of the Vienna School of Applied Arts (1897). He was born in 1853 in Zaleszczyki, in the Austrian region of Galicia, to an aristocratic military family; In preparation for his career as an officer he was, in fact, sent to the Hainburg Cadet School at the age of eleven, where he was soon recognized for his drawing ability and encouraged to pursue his artistic passions. In 1872 he became a draftsman at the Institute of Military Geography, where he learned the various graphic techniques used in the creation of topographic maps, a position which gave him the opportunity to attend August Eisenmenger's painting and drawing lessons at the Academy of Art of Vienna. Myrbach managed to continue his artistic activity even when he was called to serve as an officer in Dalmatia three years later. He set up a small room here as a study, having his companions pose for him in the evenings; during the day, however, he practiced numerous landscape studies. In November 1911 he moved to Paris, where he remained for sixteen years: during his French stay the style of his illustrations, inspired by those of the French artist Ernest Meissonier, was particularly appreciated by large magazines such as Le Monde Pittoresque or Paris Illustré , thus being hired for numerous projects and receiving orders from major literary publishers.

In 1903, having returned to the Austrian capital, he played a decisive role in the creation of the Wiener Werkstätte, an artistic circle that brought together architects, artists, designers and artisans of ceramics, fashion, silver, furniture and graphic arts, with the objective of introducing objects of high aesthetic and artistic value into everyday life. In 1905 he left Vienna again and returned to Paris, where Frédéric Masson commissioned him to illustrate his 23-volume work on the life of Napoleon: Myrbach threw himself into this work with characteristic verve for over ten years, traveling from Corsica to Elba , at the battlefields of Aspern and Wagram, with the aim of reconstructing the events as accurately and faithfully as possible. 

The work in question, in fact, depicts the passage of Napoleon's army on the Berezina, a tributary of the Dnieper, during the Russian Campaign (23 June - 14 December 1812) conducted against the army of Tsar Alexander I, in order to force the latter to respect the will of France. Confident of his abilities, the French emperor will undertake one of the most difficult military campaigns ever faced, thanks to the tsar's strategy of avoiding any direct clash with the French and letting them slowly succumb to the difficulties given by the impervious territory, the lack of food, the adverse climate and the numerous diseases that were spreading. At the crossing of the Berezina river, attacked by the Russians under General Kutuzov, the retreat turned into a catastrophe: Napoleon left hastily, leaving the army, and, by forced marches, reached Paris. The painting depicts, in fact, the very moment after the Battle of the Berezina, before Napoleon left his country. Despite the partial success of the retreat, the Berezina battle was one of the most disastrous battles of the contemporary era.

The object is in good condition

With Ars Antiqua it is possible to defer all amounts up to a maximum of €7.500 at ZERO INTEREST, for a total of 15 INSTALLMENTS.

E.g. Total €4.500 = Monthly installment €300 for 15 months.

E.g. Total €3.600 = Monthly installment €720 for 5 months.

For amounts exceeding €7.500 or for a longer period of time (over 15 installments), we can provide a personalized payment.

Contact us directly to get the best quote.

LIVE

– SUNDAY 17.00pm – 21.00pm Dig. terr. 126 + 809 SKY

– THURSDAY 21.00pm – 24.00pm Dig.terr. 134 + 809 SKY

– Streaming on our website www.arsantiquasrl.com and on our social networks Facebook and Youtube

All the works proposed by Ars Antiqua are sold accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law and an accurate information sheet.

It is possible to see the works directly at the showroom gallery in Milan, in via Pisacane 55 and 57.

We personally organize transport and deliveries of the works, both for Italy and abroad.