IMPERIAL GUARD FOOT GRENADIERS: SOLDIERS OF STRASBOURG CARDBOARD FIGURINE painted in gouache by the WURTZ family, second third of the 19th century, circa 1815-1848. 31156-2
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FOOT GRENADIERS OF THE IMPERIAL GUARD: STRASBOURG SOLDIERS CARDBOARD GOUACHE FIGURINE painted by the WURTZ family, second half of the 19th century, circa 1815-1848. 31156-2
Three foot soldiers, H from the bottom of the base to eye level 8.5 cm.
Mounted on a wooden base.
France.
First half of the 19th century.
Good condition.
PROVENANCE:
Former Wurtz-Peés collection, then Saint-Aubin, and private collection.
Mr. Marcel Saint-Aubin, a collector turned antiquarian between the wars. To my knowledge, no biography or article has ever been published about this individual who is nonetheless known among collectors and frequently cited in the provenance of historical objects of great quality. Hence, I will open my archives to shed more light on this great connoisseur:
"Mobilized during the First World War along with his brother in the infantry, the latter was killed at Verdun. Both shared the same taste for military memorabilia; they both drew and published their drawings in the magazine 'La Giberne' before 1914.
After the war, he settled as an antiquarian. In 1926, he lived at 108 rue de Ménilmontant (Paris 20th arrondissement), far from the usual antique dealer districts. His choice focused on the specialty that had long attracted him: military curiosities. The spark that directed him towards this specialty came from his first find: a Consulate light cavalry officer's saber, his first beautiful saber; he called it his 'good luck charm' and always kept it.
The profession of antiquarian allowed Saint-Aubin to see and possess these cherished objects for a while. A fine connoisseur, he never made a mistake, and his clients benefited from his knowledge. A passionate researcher, everything he discovered in his life was remarkably diverse. Silent and modest, he had an art and a manner that left an indelible memory with the enthusiasts who knew him.
Like most military object dealers of that time, Marcel Saint-Aubin did not have a store. He would receive visitors at his apartment, where few objects were displayed and only temporarily so. Generally, like Paul Jean, he would fetch the items he wanted to sell from the adjoining room and would present them without saying much, with a slight smile, or if the item presented was truly exceptional, he would simply remark, without raising his voice, 'It's top-notch...'.
In June 1940, during the occupation, he left for Guingamp. He returned to Paris where he resettled at the end of 1951, in the house he had acquired at 16 rue Henri Pape, in the 13th arrondissement, once again, far from the antique dealer quarter.
His love for the objects he parted with was evident even in the care he took in packaging them. Very skilled with his hands, he perfectly protected even the most modest piece.
Marcel Saint-Aubin passed away at the age of 83, taking with him the esteem of all who knew him, leaving behind a lasting memory as a man of great moral values."
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The soldiers of Strasbourg are cardboard figurines, "flat" soldiers, cut from rigid cardboard. In most cases, these soldiers are drawn and then printed by sheets to easily multiply their numbers.
Christian Blondieau, in his work "Petits soldats de plomb, d'étain, de papier, de carton ... 1765-1965 - Le guide du collectionneur" Editions Le Képi Rouge Paris 1996, specifies for cardboard soldiers:
"[...] unlike paper soldiers intended more for youth, often colored in a clumsy manner, the cardboard soldier is made for adults and provides a guarantee of great uniformological precision, which serves as the basis for our modern documentation... Why do the little soldiers from Alsace stand out? Because they were mostly made by eyewitnesses of the time or their descendants, and are often contemporary to the era they represent.
During the wars of the Revolution and the Empire, the inhabitants of Strasbourg (then a garrison town) saw a large number of soldiers with colorful uniforms marching through their city on their way to fight in Germany.
This influx of troops, which lasted for more than fifteen years, inspired some to "capture" these beautiful soldiers in action.
Alsatian authors agree in citing Benjamin Zix (1772-1811) as the precursor of the genre. Ahead of Léopold Beyer, the German Geisler, or the Austrian Klein, the Alsatian Zix provides us with a very realistic view of the soldiers of the time, as he himself, being a combatant, traversed battlefields more often armed with a pencil than a rifle. He became an Officer draftsman of the Army.
From the peace of 1815 to the war of 1914, the Strasbourg artists continued this need to draw and paint from generation to generation...".
Three foot soldiers, H from the bottom of the base to eye level 8.5 cm.
Mounted on a wooden base.
France.
First half of the 19th century.
Good condition.
PROVENANCE:
Former Wurtz-Peés collection, then Saint-Aubin, and private collection.
Mr. Marcel Saint-Aubin, a collector turned antiquarian between the wars. To my knowledge, no biography or article has ever been published about this individual who is nonetheless known among collectors and frequently cited in the provenance of historical objects of great quality. Hence, I will open my archives to shed more light on this great connoisseur:
"Mobilized during the First World War along with his brother in the infantry, the latter was killed at Verdun. Both shared the same taste for military memorabilia; they both drew and published their drawings in the magazine 'La Giberne' before 1914.
After the war, he settled as an antiquarian. In 1926, he lived at 108 rue de Ménilmontant (Paris 20th arrondissement), far from the usual antique dealer districts. His choice focused on the specialty that had long attracted him: military curiosities. The spark that directed him towards this specialty came from his first find: a Consulate light cavalry officer's saber, his first beautiful saber; he called it his 'good luck charm' and always kept it.
The profession of antiquarian allowed Saint-Aubin to see and possess these cherished objects for a while. A fine connoisseur, he never made a mistake, and his clients benefited from his knowledge. A passionate researcher, everything he discovered in his life was remarkably diverse. Silent and modest, he had an art and a manner that left an indelible memory with the enthusiasts who knew him.
Like most military object dealers of that time, Marcel Saint-Aubin did not have a store. He would receive visitors at his apartment, where few objects were displayed and only temporarily so. Generally, like Paul Jean, he would fetch the items he wanted to sell from the adjoining room and would present them without saying much, with a slight smile, or if the item presented was truly exceptional, he would simply remark, without raising his voice, 'It's top-notch...'.
In June 1940, during the occupation, he left for Guingamp. He returned to Paris where he resettled at the end of 1951, in the house he had acquired at 16 rue Henri Pape, in the 13th arrondissement, once again, far from the antique dealer quarter.
His love for the objects he parted with was evident even in the care he took in packaging them. Very skilled with his hands, he perfectly protected even the most modest piece.
Marcel Saint-Aubin passed away at the age of 83, taking with him the esteem of all who knew him, leaving behind a lasting memory as a man of great moral values."
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The soldiers of Strasbourg are cardboard figurines, "flat" soldiers, cut from rigid cardboard. In most cases, these soldiers are drawn and then printed by sheets to easily multiply their numbers.
Christian Blondieau, in his work "Petits soldats de plomb, d'étain, de papier, de carton ... 1765-1965 - Le guide du collectionneur" Editions Le Képi Rouge Paris 1996, specifies for cardboard soldiers:
"[...] unlike paper soldiers intended more for youth, often colored in a clumsy manner, the cardboard soldier is made for adults and provides a guarantee of great uniformological precision, which serves as the basis for our modern documentation... Why do the little soldiers from Alsace stand out? Because they were mostly made by eyewitnesses of the time or their descendants, and are often contemporary to the era they represent.
During the wars of the Revolution and the Empire, the inhabitants of Strasbourg (then a garrison town) saw a large number of soldiers with colorful uniforms marching through their city on their way to fight in Germany.
This influx of troops, which lasted for more than fifteen years, inspired some to "capture" these beautiful soldiers in action.
Alsatian authors agree in citing Benjamin Zix (1772-1811) as the precursor of the genre. Ahead of Léopold Beyer, the German Geisler, or the Austrian Klein, the Alsatian Zix provides us with a very realistic view of the soldiers of the time, as he himself, being a combatant, traversed battlefields more often armed with a pencil than a rifle. He became an Officer draftsman of the Army.
From the peace of 1815 to the war of 1914, the Strasbourg artists continued this need to draw and paint from generation to generation...".
Reference :
31156-2
Next update Friday, december 12 at 13:30 PM
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FOR ALL PURCHASES, PAYMENT IN MULTIPLE CHECKS POSSIBLE
bertrand.malvaux@wanadoo.fr 06 07 75 74 63
An authenticity certificate of the item including the description published on the site, the period, the sale price, accompanied by one or more color photographs is automatically provided for any item priced over 130 euros. Below this price, each certificate is charged 5 euros.
Only items sold by me are subject to an authenticity certificate, I do not provide any expert reports for items sold by third parties (colleagues or collectors).