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An officer of light dragoons taking leave of his wife, 1795
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An officer of light dragoons taking leave of his wife, 1795
An officer of light dragoons taking leave of his wife, 1795 (c).Oil on canvas, by Henry Singleton (1766-1839), 1795 (c).In this romantic scene, the details of the light dragoons uniforms, although carefully depicted, do not identify any particular unit. There were two regular regiments of light dragoons with white facings but with silver, not gold, lace. Other, local, light cavalry units of Yeomanry, Provisional Cavalry and Fencibles existed at this time, but they did not serve overseas. As the officer and his wife in evening dress take a last embrace, the scene is reminiscent of the Duchess of Richmonds Ball. This took place in Brussels on 15 June 1815, the eve of the Battle of Quatre Bras and three days before the Battle of Waterloo. The ball was attended by many British officers and, when the Duke of Wellington arrived and confirmed the rumours of a French advance, many hurried away to prepare, while others remained, later leaving directly for the field of battle.Singleton showed artistic promise at an early age and, aged only ten, he exhibited an ink drawing, A Soldier returned to his Family, at the Society of Artists. He specialised in portraits, and paintings of literary or contemporary historical subjects, showing over 280 paintings at the Royal Academy. Singleton and his contemporaries Robert Smirke, George Morland and Francis Wheatley produced a number of military genre paintings, usually decorative scenes of smart young soldiers, pretty maids, swooning wives and sobbing children. They were designed for reproduction as prints for the popular market, although no print of this painting has been traced. Date: circa 1795
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this evocative oil painting by Henry Singleton, an officer of light dragoons bids farewell to his wife in a poignant moment before departing for military duty. The year is circa 1795, and the couple is dressed in evening attire, their tender embrace hinting at the imminent separation that lies ahead. The meticulously rendered details of the light dragoon's uniform, with its distinctive white facings and silver lace, do not reveal any specific regiment, as there were various light cavalry units in existence during this period, including the two regular regiments of light dragoons, local Yeomanry, Provisional Cavalry, and Fencibles. The scene evokes the romantic atmosphere of the Duchess of Richmond's Ball, which took place in Brussels on 15 June 1815, the eve of the Battle of Quatre Bras and three days before the Battle of Waterloo. Many British officers attended this grand social event, and when the Duke of Wellington arrived with news of a French advance, some hurried away to prepare for battle, while others remained, eventually joining the fight on the field. Henry Singleton, a talented artist who displayed early promise at the age of ten with an ink drawing titled "A Soldier returned to his Family," excelled in portraits and paintings of literary or contemporary historical subjects. He presented over 280 paintings at the Royal Academy and is known for his military genre paintings, which often featured smart young soldiers, pretty maids, swooning wives, and sobbing children. Although this painting was not produced as a print for commercial purposes, it remains a captivating depiction of the emotional toll of military life on both soldiers and their families.
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