1875 Woodcut Alphonse Neuville Francis Duke Guise Ambush Jean Poltrot Mere XEA6

This is an original 1875 black and white woodcut of an illustration by French artist Alphonse de Neuville which depicts Francis, the Duke of Guise, being ambushed as he was riding to meet his wife, Anne d'Este. She was staying at a castle near his military camp during his siege of Orléans, which took place along the course of the French Wars of Religion, and she had planned to stop her husband's siege and spare the townspeople the horrors of being taken by force. As the ride was fairly short, Francis hadn't bothered with a cuirass; this proved to be a problem when he was ambushed by a particularly vicious Huguenot, Jean de Poltrot de Méré, and shot three times. His wounds proved fatal six days later when his doctors more or less bled him to death in an attempt to save his lfe.

CONDITION

This 136+ year old Item is rated Very Fine +++. Light aging throughout. No creases. No natural defects.No surface rub.No tears. No water damage. Please note that there is a blind emboss mark in the upper left corner.

• Product Type: Original Woodcut; Black / White
• Grade: Very Fine +++
• Dimensions: Approximately 6 x 8.5 inches; 15 x 22 cm
• Authentication: Serial-Numbered Certificate of Authenticity w/ Full Provenance
• Protection: Packaged in a custom archival sleeve with an acid-free black board (great for display, gift-giving, and preservation)

This image was selected from a collection of woodcuts and steel engravings prolifically depicting scenes from French history, ranging from ancient Gaul to Charlemagne and his wars, to Joan of Arc and Marie Antoinette. Historically important for French archivists, these images are extremely rare to locate and are virtually unseen individually. Period Paper is pleased to present these beautifully preserved images, which would make an ideal addition to any French lover's collection. To view more images from this portfolio, please click on the link offered below the condition paragraph.

This piece was illustrated by De Neuville, Alphonse. Artist signature in print - bottom right of image.

De Neuvile, Alphonse-Marie-Adolphe

Alphonse-Marie-Adolphe de Neuville (1835 _ 1885) was a French painter who specialized in very patriotic historical scenes with subjects such as the Franco-Prussian War, the Crimean War and the Zulu War. He originally joined the naval school in Lorient, France, but he soon realized that his primary passion was art. After his death, several of his pieces were acquired for the Luxembourg Palace in Paris.

Keywords specific to this image: handgun, weaponry, 16th century

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