The Departure of the Militiaman

The Departure of the Militiaman
Artist	Johann Peter Krafft
Year	1813
Type	Oil on canvas, history painting
Dimensions	351 cm× 281 cm(138 in× 111 in)
Location	Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna

The Departure of the Militiaman (German: Der Abschied des Landwehrmannes) is an 1813 oil painting by the German-Austrian artist Johann Peter Krafft. ^{[1] [2]} It depicts a scene from the German campaign of 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars. In a farmhouse room a departing member of the Imperial-Royal Landwehr bids farewell to his family as he departs to fight the French-led armies of Napoleon. ^[3]

In 1816 it was acquired for the collection of the Austrian Emperor Francis I. The work is in the Belvedere in Vienna. ^[3]

Die Heimkehr des Landwehrmannes, 1820

Krafft produced a sequel Die Heimkehr des Landwehrmannes in 1820 which is also in the Belvedere. This depicts the returning Landwehr some time later following the allied victory. In contrast to the dark interior of the first painting, the follow-up is in the bright sunlit day. ^[4]

References

1. Telesko pp. 42–43
2. Rollig & Huemer pp. 141–142
3. "Der Abschied des Landwehrmannes" (in German). Belvedere. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
4. "Die Heimkehr des Landwehrmannes" (in German). Belvedere. Retrieved 8 December 2024.

Bibliography

• Drescher, Seymour (ed.) Political Symbolism in Modern Europe. Routledge, 2020.
• Frodl-Schneemann, Marianne. Johann Peter Krafft, 1780-1856: Monographie und Verzeichnis der Gemälde. Herold, 1984.
• Rollig, Stella & Huemer, Christian. Das Belvedere. 300 Jahre Ort der Kunst. Walter de Gruyter, 2023.
• Telesko, Werner. Kulturraum Österreich: die Identität der Regionen in der bildenden Kunst des 19. Jahrhunderts, Volume 2. Böhlau Verlag Wien, 2008.