1875 Woodcut Alphonse Neuville Louvois Commander French Army Portrait XEA6

This is an original 1875 black and white woodcut of an illustration by French artist Alphonse de Neuville, which depicts François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois, the man who took on the mountainous task of reorganizing the French army during the late 17th century. He did an excellent job, and was able to increase French forces to 400,000 during his time as French Secretary of State for War. A little known fact about him is that his was the earliest known description of the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask, a political prisoner whose identity as remained unknown for centuries, but was speculated upon as being King Louis XIV's brother in Alexandre Dumas' novel of the same name.

CONDITION

This 136+ year old Item is rated Near Mint / Very Fine. Light aging throughout. No creases. No natural defects.No surface rub.No tears. No water damage.

• Product Type: Original Woodcut; Black / White
• Grade: Near Mint / Very Fine
• Dimensions: Approximately 4 x 5 inches; 10 x 13 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. There is no visible artist signature.

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: aristocrat, leader

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