Del Prado Zhitomir Uhlan Trumpeter, 1815: The Signal Above the Saddle

Del Prado · Russian Empire · 1815

A red plume, contrasting braid and a lowered head give this Russian trumpeter a distinctive appearance. The Del Prado reference identifies the regiment as Jitomir, another spelling of Zhitomir or Zhytomyr.

The horse lowers its muzzle while the rider turns the upper body, creating a less rigid profile than a parade-ground pose. The tall plume remains the highest point. Pale decoration across the dark jacket gives the torso a strong pattern, and the saddle cloth extends the colour scheme down the horse’s side.

A musical role in a lancer regiment

The title identifies a trumpeter of the Zhitomir uhlans. That combination is worth preserving: the regiment’s cavalry type and the individual soldier’s job are different pieces of information. A musician can belong to a lancer unit without the sculpt being dominated by a lance.

The 1815 date places the subject in the final year of the Napoleonic wars. Russia was one of the powers involved in the settlement negotiated at Vienna, where the military defeat of Napoleon became a new political arrangement. The date alone does not place this particular trumpeter at Waterloo or at any other named battle.

Sound as a display theme

Put the trumpeter beside another cavalry musician and the subject becomes communication rather than nationality alone. The shape of the instrument, the position of the hands and the distinctive clothing show why musicians make a varied group even when their horses stand at similar heights.

For a loose example, look carefully at the instrument and the space around the hands. The plume, horse’s ears and lowered muzzle are also vulnerable. Photographs from only one side can conceal a missing projection behind the rider’s torso.

Compare dimensions with neighbouring figures before planning a tightly spaced shelf. Dealer descriptions of Del Prado scale are not always internally consistent, so the actual height and base footprint are better guides than a fraction copied from a listing. The reference photograph establishes the subject and pose; it does not establish the condition of a different example.

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