The landing of allied troops in Crimea in 1854
Ajaccio, Musée Fesch
Encouraged by the government, the history painters of the Second Empire became the self-appointed chroniclers of the military campaigns. The Crimea, Italy, Algeria, Mexico were for them just subjects to be illustrated and their works, exhibited to the public at the Salons, are strongly documentary in character. At the Salon of 1857, one of the Salles d’Honneur was entirely dedicated to episodes from the Crimean war. But the subjects were not so much acts of heroism as the complexity of the logistics and the new fighting techniques. Here, Pils shows daily life in the army. With the fleet disembarking in the distance, the military leaders (including Prince Napoleon, son of Jerome) are put on a level with the rank and file soldiers.