Henri Louis Dupray French, 1841-1909 Battaille de

Henri Louis Dupray
French, 1841-1909
Battaille de Inkermann, 1855
Signed H. Dupray (ll)
Oil on canvas
28 7/8 x 36 1/4 inches (73.4 x 92 cm)
Henry-Louis Dupray, a specialist in military subjects, exhibited at the Salon beginning in 1863. This scene of French heroism at the Battle of Inkermann in the Crimean War, like most of Dupray's works, was painted in his studio long after the event.
The Battle of Inkermann took place on November 5, 1854. British, French, and Turkish allied forces had landed in the Crimea in September in an attempt to capture the Russian naval port of Sevastopol. After defeating the Russian army in their first engagement, the British and French commanders could not agree on a plan of attack, and their delay in moving on Sevasstopol allowed the Russian army to withdraw, leaving only a garrison. The Allies laid siege to the city, the British taking up a position at Inkermann.
On October 25, the Russian army advanced on the British position, leading to the Battle of Balaclava and the famously disastrous charge of the Light Brigade. Emboldened by their success and now heavily reinforced, on November 5 the Russians attacked the works at Inkermann. Outnumbered five to one, the British fought bravely, but would have certainly been defeated if the French General Bosquet had not launched the counter-offensive shown in this painting. The final result was an important Allied victory.

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