Thomas Rowlandson (London 1756-1827)

Rowlandson presents the interior of a busy French barracks with soldiers who are purportedly preparing for morning parade. Weapons and other military paraphernalia are depicted on the walls and in the room, yet the scene appears to be more of a domestic one: one woman nurses her baby, another trims a soldier's toenails while sitting on a bed, a child eats from a bowl, and a dog and cat enjoy the bustling activity. Rowlandson's composition presents a satire of the French military and is in marked contract to the simplicity of his 'English Barracks' (Grego I, p. 295; II, p. 393). Two engravings based on the present work are owned by the Lewis Walpole Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA. Depicted on the verso is a seated young girl wearing an elaborate bonnet.