The Distribution of the Eagle Standards

[con20or]

What a great painting. I'm trying to ID the extras in the painting.....

I'm guessing

1. Johnny Crotch-Thrust in the background beside the princesses is Murat?
2. Baldy behind Napoleon is one of the brothers and so is the hat wearer behind him.
3. Who is the marshal at the back of the group clutching the sword to his chest and holding his baton up? The guy giving him the incredulous look is another one I am interested in.


The foreign-dressed gentleman at the plinth could be Roustam, no idea who the cardinal is. Talleyrand used to be a priest and a bishop but I don;t knwo much about him.

The hats make it difficult to pick anyone of the marshals out, no red haired Ney or bald Davout - and they all look very similar too.

Turns out Napoleon had Josephine removed from this pic because he was about to divorce her.

[Saddletank]

Yeah, this is a tremendous painting. Really beautiful.

Its paintings like this though, that make me smile at history and man's greed. Only a few years before this the French Republic declared Equality, Brotherhood, Freedom. Now look at all that wanna-be nobility and royalty.

Its strange how a people can be bent to the will of one in power who mesmerises them all.

At least Oliver Cromwell, when parliament offered him the crown of England, had the balls and the principles to reject it.

Sorry, don't know who is who in the painting and can't help you, its awesomeness binds me to silence.

[Stellar Duck]

Speaking of Eagles.

I was in the National Museum here in Edinburgh last weekend and found this:



It's from the 45th and was captured by Scots Dragoons at Waterloo. I also saw the attached flag but that's being kept in a different museum at the Castle. Specifically the Dragoon Museum there.

Forgot to take a picture of that one though.

[tim]

There's a program on BBC iplayer at the moment called Napoleon and he historian argues the exact opposite. He thinks Napoleon brought order out of chaos, was a great law maker, leader and soldier. Interesting point of view - I suspect the truth is somewhere between dictator and great leader. Worth a watch anyway - not very complimentary about Josephine.
Oliver Cromwell did rule as a sole protector didn't he - and don't mention him to Irish folk like Conor - he's very unpopular there.