Artist: Louis-François Lejeune
Year: 1822
This is a reproduction print of the historical painting “The Battle of Borodino” (Bataille de la Moskowa), created by French military officer and painter Louis-François Lejeune in 1822. The artwork depicts the Battle of Borodino on 7 September 1812, one of the largest and bloodiest engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. Fought approximately 110 kilometers west of Moscow, the battle pitted Napoleon Bonaparte's Grande Armée against the Imperial Russian Army commanded by General Mikhail Kutuzov, during the French invasion of Russia.
The panoramic composition portrays French and Russian troops engaged in fierce combat across the battlefield, with infantry formations, cavalry units and artillery batteries dominating the landscape. Thick clouds of smoke rise above the fighting as soldiers advance, defend their positions and struggle for control of strategically important ground. The battle was particularly intense around the Bagration flèches and the Great Redoubt, also known as the Raevsky Redoubt, where repeated French assaults met determined Russian resistance.
Lejeune's painting is distinguished by its detailed military formations, expansive battlefield perspective and carefully rendered Napoleonic uniforms and equipment. Having served as an officer in Napoleon's army and participated in the Russian campaign, Lejeune brought firsthand military experience to his historical compositions. His work combines topographical observation, military precision and dramatic battlefield action, offering a visual interpretation of one of the most consequential battles of the 1812 campaign.
The original painting was executed in oil on canvas. Although Napoleon's forces captured important Russian defensive positions and the Russian army subsequently withdrew, the battle failed to destroy Kutuzov's army. Napoleon entered Moscow shortly afterward, but the campaign ultimately ended in a catastrophic French retreat. Lejeune's depiction remains an important example of 19th-century military painting, commemorating a battle that became a defining moment in the history of Napoleonic France and Imperial Russia.
