This lithograph depicts two injured grenadiers returning home to France after Napoleon’s Russian Campaign of 1812. The French army (Grande Armée) started the invasion of Russia in June of 1812 with over 600,000 soldiers, yet by the end of that year, an estimated 300,000-400,000 were dead.
Artists Perspective: “Théodore Géricault, who often sympathized with the helpless in his art, glorified these wounded soldiers by showing them from a low angle. The center group stands out, while lighter figures fade into the background, suggesting early difficulties with balancing contrast on a lithographic stone. Although the use of a tint stone was technically difficult, it allowed artists like Géricault to include more painterly effects in their prints.” (Géricault, Jean Louis André Théodore. “The Return from Russia.” The Art Institute of Chicago. January 01, 1970. Accessed January 22, 2019. https://www.artic.edu/artworks/75089/the-return-from-russia.)