This early 19th century painting was purchased by a private collector in Holland as attributed to the hand of famous Haque painter Pieter Gerardus van Os (1776 The Hague - 1839 The Hague), who except of his famous landscape paintings with cattle, in 1813 and 1814 trained also as a captain of volunteers and experienced military engagements. This led him to try military subjects in his art. Emperor Alexander I of Russia purchased a painting in this theme by Van Os and placed it in his palace at St. Petersburg. Our painting depicts Russian cossacks resting in the forest. The identity of the uniform attributes to Russian Don Cossacks from the time of the Napoleonic Wars 1812-1815 was confirmed by renowned Napoleonica expert Dr. D.Gorshkov, Moscow, the Russian Archive . Due to the attribution to Dutch painter P.G.van Os the motif of this painting can be taken by the artist from the Russian campaign into the Netherlands in 1813. Russian Cavalry detachment of General Alexander Christophorovich Benkendorf attacked (after crossing the German-Dutch border) Napoleonic troops stationed in the Netherlands. Cossacks made a raid to Amsterdam and led its citizens to revolt against the French troops and, having challenged the French, assisted in return to the Netherlands and accession to the throne (as King Willem I) of Prince Willem of Orange-Nassau, who was expelled from this country in 1795.

Literature: Thieme/Becker "Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler von Antike bis zur Gegenwart", Leipzig, 1999.

Inscription: unsigned.

Technigue: framed oil on canvas.

Measurements: unframed w 26 " x h 18 1/2" (66 x 47 cm); framed w 351/2" x h 28 1/3" (90 x 72 cm).

Condition: very good original condition, no inpaintings or paintlosses..