German Guard, Line and Chasseur Officers with an Artilleryman and Uhlan, 1842

This is an original antique lithograph, hand colored, from the Galleria Universale di Tutti i Popoli del Mondo (Venice, Giuseppe Antonelli, 1842). The upper image shows three officers in white trousers with soldiers firing in the background and a domed building at the left. The guard officer at the left wears a tall gilt helmet with a star plate and knob finial, a dark coat with red collar and cuffs, and holds his sword point down. The line officer in the center wears a tall black shako with a black plume and star badge, gold epaulettes and a drawn saber. The chasseur officer at the right, in a green coat and black plumed shako, points to the right with a curved saber in his other hand. In the lower image an artilleryman in a black shako, dark coat and gray trousers with a red stripe holds a smoking match beside a cannon, with cannonballs on the ground and smoke behind. At the right a woman in a white cap, crimson jacket and yellow skirt holds the bridle of a uhlan's horse; the uhlan wears a tall square topped cap and carries a lance with a pennant.

The plate is lettered "Tom IV" at the upper left, "GERMANIA" in the center and "Tav 79" at the upper right. The upper captions read "Offic.le della Guardia" (officer of the guard), "Offic. di linea" (officer of the line) and "Officiale de' Cacciatori" (officer of the chasseurs). Inside the lower image is lettered "Cavalleria ed Artiglieria" (cavalry and artillery), and the lower captions read "Artigliere" (artilleryman) and "Ulano" (uhlan).

Uhlans were lancers, a type of light cavalry adopted by many European armies, and the square topped cap was characteristic of their uniform.

A good plate for a collection of military prints or a study.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.