Titled below image. The painting recalls an incident recorded in De Porquet's 'History of the First Napoleon'. Depicts a French infantryman sentry. Having fallen asleep on duty, he awakens pre-dawn in a rain soaked, harvested stook filled wheat-field, during one of Napoleon's campaigns, only to find the grey coated 'little Corporal' (Napoleon) standing, mounting guard at his shamefully neglected post. Napoleon looks sternly at the drowsy sentry, with his arms folded across a bayonetted musket.
"C'est l'Empereur"; "I am lost," the sentry cried, "it is the Emperor !" [R.A. Catalogue 1890];
The vigilant Napoleon had ridden the circuit of his out posts during the night, and finding a sentry asleep Napoleon assumes the musket, and does duty at the neglected post himself. The emperor's mounted adjutant and horses may be seen in the back ground, as may the dwindling camp fires illuminated in the moonlight.
The original oil painting, 1890, was first exhibited at the Goupil Gallery on Bond St. London also exhibited Societé Artistes Français 1891. It was later gifted to the University of Toronto by the artist in 1916.
Hugh de Twenebrokes Glazebrook, 1865 -1937 portrait painter. He was born at Hampstead March 1855, 2nd son of Michael George Glazebrook of London and Little Croft, Amersham, Bucks, and Margaret Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Tapson. Educated Dulwich College. He spent some time in Toronto, returning to London, England, he studied painting at South Kensington under Sir Edward Poynter, and in Paris at Atelier Bonnat; spent several years in Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Holland and Belgium, visiting art centres.
Exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1885,; Medal, Paris international Exhibition 1900. Represented at National Portrait Gallery (Viscount Milner, K.G.) and Privy Council Chamber (Lord Macnaghten); Art Gallery, Stratford-on-Avon (Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson); Dover Maison Dieu (Sir Henry Poland, K.G.); Rugby School Gallery (1st Lord Goshen); Bath Corporation Gallery, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (Lady in Black); Dunkirk War Memorial (Earl of Athlone, K.G.). Honorary Member Royal Society of Portrait Painters and Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts (New Salon) Paris. Married 1891, Florence Singleton, daughter of Edward Wilson of Hull. Died at Alassio, Italy, 6 May 1937.
