Del Prado 7th Uhlans Trumpeter, 1855: An Austrian Musician Between Eras

Del Prado · Austrian Empire · circa 1855

A dark green uniform and red details stand above a pale horse. Del Prado’s Austrian 7th Uhlans trumpeter carries the cavalry catalog beyond the Napoleonic wars into the middle of the nineteenth century.

The grey-white horse creates a clear background for the rider’s darker clothing. The high headgear and musical equipment concentrate attention around the upper body. The saddle covering extends the red accents down the animal’s side, giving the compact figure a coherent colour pattern.

The date changes the setting

An uhlan subject can easily be placed among Napoleonic lancers because the general silhouette feels familiar. This one is dated around 1855, four decades after Waterloo and the Congress of Vienna. That difference should be visible in a collection label even if the figures share a shelf.

The year falls during the Crimean War, but an Austrian date does not make the model a British, French or Russian participant at Balaklava. The dealer identifies an Austrian regimental musician. A particular campaign assignment would need evidence beyond the date and a cavalry title.

A comparison across forty years

The Austrian cuirassier officer of 1814 and this trumpeter make a useful two-figure study. Their shared imperial context gives continuity, while the cavalry type and date show change. A third figure, the Russian Ingermanland hussar dated 1854, can establish a separate mid-century group.

Check the instrument, headgear and horse’s ears in photographs of a secondhand example. The pale paint on the mount can show handling marks, while the dark torso may hide them. A view from behind is valuable for examining the saddle and the rider’s attachment.

The reference gives an approximate date, so “circa 1855” is the most faithful wording. It also lists a scale that should be checked against actual dimensions before placing the model beside larger mounted figures. Del Prado’s collections cover different subjects and dealer conventions are not always consistent.

For display, leave the musician’s upper body unobstructed. The small instrument is the detail that turns an attractive cavalry figure into a more specific study of regimental life.

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