Who painted Cavalry Charge?

Cavalry Charge was painted by Auguste Raffet in 1840.

Where can I see Cavalry Charge?

Cavalry Charge is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Cavalry Charge?

Cavalry Charge is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of Cavalry Charge?

Museum-quality prints of Cavalry Charge are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Cavalry Charge

Auguste Raffet , 1840

Cavalry Charge is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Auguste Raffet. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 2009.139
Credit line: Bequest of Muriel Butkin

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1840, Cavalry Charge is a lithographic drawing by French artist Auguste Raffet. Trained under the military illustrator Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, Raffet is noted for his depictions of 19th‑century French armed forces. The work captures a mounted unit in the midst of a rapid assault, rendered in the energetic style characteristic of the Romantic era.

Subject & Meaning

The image portrays a squadron of cavalrymen surging forward, their dark uniforms contrasted by vivid red shako caps. Several riders brandish flags or sabres, emphasizing the martial purpose of the charge. The composition conveys the chaos and momentum of battle, focusing on collective action rather than individual heroism.

Technique & Style

Raffet employs swift, gestural lines to suggest motion, allowing the horses’ muscles and hooves to appear blurred as they kick up dust. The background is reduced to a plain, dusty plain, directing attention to the dynamic figures. This loose handling of line aligns with Romantic interests in immediacy and emotional intensity.

Context

Produced during a period when French artists revisited the Napoleonic Empire, the drawing reflects a broader cultural fascination with military glory and national history. Raffet’s work, alongside that of his mentor Charlet, contributed to a visual archive of 19th‑century French warfare, informing both contemporary audiences and later historiography.

Cavalry Scene, Joseph-Louis-Hippolyte Bellangé

Own this work as a print

Artist & collection

Artist

Auguste Raffet

Denis Auguste Marie Raffet (2 March 1804 – 16 February 1860) was a French illustrator and lithographer. He was a student of Nicolas Toussaint Charlet, and was a retrospective painter of the Empire.