Del Prado Young Guard Flanker 1813: Another Side of the Guard

Del Prado · Napoleonic Wars · France, 1813

Dark clothing, white trousers and a straightforward standing pose make this flanker easy to overlook beside an eagle bearer. His subject is valuable precisely because the Imperial Guard contained much more than its famous veteran grenadiers.

The expanding Guard

The Young Guard grew into a substantial fighting force during the later Empire. Flanqueur formations belonged to the Guard’s expanding family of infantry units; they should not be treated as interchangeable with the Old Guard. The shared institution contained different histories, titles and expectations of service.

A figure dated 1813 helps illustrate that variety at a time when Napoleon was rebuilding his army after the Russian campaign. For a collector, the useful question is not simply whether a soldier is “Guard,” but which part of the Guard the model is intended to represent.

A restrained uniform study

The reference example has dark upper clothing, light trousers, crossed white belts and a shako with a small coloured ornament. The weapon rises close to one side. The simple stance makes the contrast between torso and legs particularly clear, with much less visual weight above the head than a tall bearskin would create.

Look at the arrangement of the straps and the shape of the headgear when comparing a loose figure. Small differences in the apparent shade of the coat may come from the photograph. They are a weaker identification tool than the sculpted pose.

Condition and companions

Check the shako ornament, weapon tip and points where the white straps cross raised surfaces. A side image can reveal a bent musket that looks straight from the front. Pale trousers are also a useful area for spotting repairs or uneven touch-up paint.

Display him near an Old Guard figure to show differences within the same institution. A separate label for each subject gives the comparison purpose, while a neutral shelf background keeps the white belts and trousers distinct from nearby standards.

A cabinet containing several Guard figures benefits from grouping them by function rather than plume height alone. Put the flanker with other foot soldiers, then give artillery and command subjects their own small groups. This preserves the variety of the institution and prevents its less ornate figures from disappearing behind larger ceremonial pieces.

Browse the Del Prado Figure Catalog →