Del Prado Auguste de Caulaincourt, 1812: A Fallen General at Borodino

Del Prado · Russia campaign · 1812

The rider folds forward over a moving grey horse, making this one of the more unsettling Del Prado command figures. It depicts Auguste de Caulaincourt, whose death belongs to the struggle for Borodino’s great redoubt.

The sculpt tells its story through the upper body. The general is no longer sitting in the balanced, commanding posture of a conventional equestrian portrait. His forward collapse contrasts with the horse’s continuing movement, while the red saddle cloth supplies a strong patch of colour beneath the dark uniform.

The younger Caulaincourt

Auguste de Caulaincourt was the cavalry officer killed at Borodino on 7 September 1812. His brother Armand is better known as Napoleon’s diplomat and companion during the return from Russia. Berliner Zinnfiguren’s identification of the Del Prado model and the broader collection index establish that this figure represents Auguste.

At Borodino, Auguste replaced the fallen Montbrun in the fighting for the central redoubt and was himself killed. The position changed hands during exceptionally costly fighting. That setting explains why a figure of a general can belong in a casualty study as readily as in a row of commanders.

Movement that needs open space

Placed alongside an upright general, Caulaincourt immediately changes the tone of a display. The contrast is most effective when both silhouettes can be seen. Avoid crowding the leaning torso behind another horse or a tall standard.

Condition checks should concentrate on the rider’s attachment, the forward-leaning body, the reins and the horse’s projecting legs. A repair around the saddle may alter the angle that makes the figure distinctive. Ask for side views from both directions and a close photograph of the underside.

A companion display with Montbrun provides a direct historical connection, while the catalog’s Kutuzov opens the Russian side of the same campaign. Their different poses help keep the group from becoming a simple celebration of rank.

Record the first name in a collection inventory. “General Caulaincourt, 1812” is not quite enough: preserving Auguste’s identity prevents the dramatic model from acquiring the wrong man’s biography when it changes hands.

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