Hussars of the Revolution: Soldiers of Strasbourg Cardboard Figurine painted in gouache by the Wurtz family, second half of the 19th century, circa 1815-1848. 31156-38

HUSSARS REVOLUTION: STRASBOURG SOLDIERS CARDBOARD FIGURINE painted by the WURTZ family, second half of the 19th century, around 1815-1848. 31156-38

Six riders, height from bottom of the base to eye level 10.5 cm.
Glued on a wooden base.

France.
First half of the 19th century.
Good condition.

PROVENANCE:
From the former Wurtz-Pees collection, then Saint-Aubin, and private collection.
Mr. Marcel Saint-Aubin, a collector turned antiquarian between the world wars. To my knowledge, no biography or article has ever been published about this figure, who is nevertheless known to collectors and is often cited in the provenance of historically significant objects. Therefore, 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 passion 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 traditional antique dealer neighborhoods. His choice was based on the specialty that had attracted him for a long time: military curiosities. His first major find was a saber of a light cavalry officer from the Consulate period, which he called his 'lucky charm' and always kept. The antique dealer profession allowed Saint-Aubin to view and possess these cherished items for a while. A discerning expert, he never made a mistake, and his clients benefitted 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 among the connoisseurs who knew him.
Like most military item dealers of that era, Marcel Saint-Aubin did not have a shop. He received customers in his apartment, where few items were present and they only occupied a temporary space. Usually, like Paul Jean, he would fetch the items he wanted to sell from the neighboring room and would present them mostly without saying anything, with a slight smile, or if the item presented was truly exceptional, he would simply say in a nonchalant tone, 'It's top-notch.'
In June 1940, during the occupation, he left for Guingamp. He returned to Paris, where he resettled in late 1951, in the house he had purchased at 16 rue Henri Pape, in the 13th arrondissement, once again, far from the antique dealer neighborhoods.
His love for the items he parted with extended to the care he put into their packaging. 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 unanimously cherished memory of a man of great moral values."

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
The Strasbourg soldiers are cardboard figurines, "flat" soldiers, cut from rigid cardboard. In most cases, these soldiers are drawn and then printed on sheets to facilitate mass production. 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 that for cardboard soldiers: "[...] unlike paper soldiers intended mostly for children, often colored clumsily, the cardboard soldier is made for adults and ensures a high level of uniform precision, which serves as the basis for our modern documentation... Why are the small soldiers from Alsace so referenced? Because they were mostly created 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 (a garrison town at the time) witnessed a large number of soldiers in colorful uniforms passing through their streets en route to battle in Germany. This influx of troops, lasting more than fifteen years, inspired some to capture these handsome soldiers in action. Alsatian authors commonly mention Benjamin Zix (1772-1811) as the pioneer of the genre. Prior to Léopold Beyer, German Geisler, or Austrian Klein, Alsatian Zix provides a realistic view of the soldiers of the time, as he himself, a soldier, often roamed battlefields armed with a pencil rather than a rifle. He became the Military Draughtsman. From the peace of 1815 to the war of 1914, Strasbourg artists, from generation to generation, continued this need to draw and paint."

Among these artists, Thiébaut Borerst (1782-1824), Eugène Nicollet (1802-1872), and Wurtz are noted figures. Wurtz, alongside his son and later his father-in-law, created figurines starting in 1825, producing high-quality pieces, especially focused on the Napoleonian era.

Wurtz's son, Frédéric Wurtz, continued this work and eventually donated most of the collection to the Musée de l'Armée in Paris. Renowned expert Christian Blondieau compares Wurtz's style to that of other notable artists like Nicollet and Kratz.