Del Prado · Figure Study
A mounted Austrian officer raises his sword above a forward-moving brown horse. His pale coat, bicorne and red horse furniture distinguish this Del Prado figure from the later helmeted French cuirassiers. The reference identifies him as an Austrian cuirassier officer of 1796.
Heavy Cavalry Before the Napoleonic Empire
The date belongs to the French Revolutionary Wars, before Napoleon became emperor. Austria was a major opponent of Revolutionary France, and its heavy cavalry formed part of that wider struggle. The older headgear is therefore more than a stylistic variation: the figure represents a different army and moment from the cuirassier subjects associated with Napoleon’s later campaigns.
Review
The pale rider against the brown horse makes the sword gesture particularly clear. Red saddle furniture adds color without competing with the movement. This is an effective early-period cavalry subject, and the 1796 identification should be retained rather than folding it into a generic Waterloo group.
Reference: Del Prado product identification. Review observations are based on the product reference photographs.
Related figures: Spanish Foot Artillery Captain 1812 · General Robert Craufurd 1810.