Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, French 1815-1891- A Cavalier standing in a forest; oil on canvas, signed and dated 'J.L.E. Meissonier 1869' (lower right), 45.5 x 35.5 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: Meissonier, like his student Édouard Detaille (1848-1912), is now perhaps best-known for his military subjects, but also produced a number of historical genre scenes, typically featuring figures in 17th-century costume, no doubt influenced by his training under the history painter Léon Cogniet (1794-1880). The present work is typical of Meissonier's compositions, recalling, for example, his 'Musketeer in the time of Louis XIII' in the Wallace Collection [P332].

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