Charles-François Raoul

This miniature and inv.-no. 10153 form a pair depicting the French brigadier general Charles-François Raoul (1759–1824)¹ and his wife. Raoul hailed from Alsace and began his career as a general in the Ardennes Army, later taking part in Napoleon’s Italian campaign from 1799 in the Armée des Alpes and, from 1800, in the Armée d’Italie. Raoul is shown here pointing to a map lying in front of him to indicate the relevant region in northern Italy that was occupied by the Napoleonic troops beginning in 1797. In 1815, Raoul was made a knight of the Legion of Honour for his achievements.
The miniatures by Giulia Corneo, who worked in the area around Milan, are characterised by an almost narrative amount of detail and great clarity of expression. The pillar and the curtain in the background are part of the classical repertoire of images and indicate Raoul’s social standing. The gold embroidery on the jacket of his uniform and on his hat, the legible map, and most of all the very expressive face and the position of the hands bear witness to a miniaturist with a gift for capturing her sitter’s character. She painted the face in delicate watercolours applied rather broadly, accentuating the different areas with fine brushstrokes and scratching to create a unique individual. The result was a genuine character portrait.
J. S. O.