Officers of the Guard
19th century
Constantin Guys, famously dubbed 'the painter of modern life' by poet Charles Baudelaire, had a knack for capturing the dashing energy of 19th-century military fashion. In this lively sketch, two officers in tall shakos and dark tunics stand with an air of casual authority, their uniforms rendered in loose, fluid washes of blue and black. Guys was a true globetrotter and war correspondent, sketching scenes from the Crimean War and Parisian street life with a speed that actually inspired the later Impressionists. It’s a perfect example of how a quick, observational drawing can freeze a moment of history better than a stiff, formal portrait.
- Technique
- Watercolor and ink
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