After the short Franco-Prussian war of 1870, French painters were particularly eager to restore national pride by showing works that reflected national heroism versus the brutality of the enemy.
Wilfried Constant Beauquesne (1847-1913) was a French painter, native of Rennes, known for his scenic depictions of this war. He was undoubtedly influenced in the choice of subjects by his teachers at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Both Vernet-Lecomte and Horace Vernet were well-known military artists. Vernet had lived and worked during the Napoleonic wars, receiving the Legion of Honor from the emperor himself. Beauquesne exhibited regularly at the annual Paris Salon between 1887 and 1899, as well as throughout Europe.
