The Last Cartridges is an 1873 painting by the French artist Alphonse de Neuville. It recreates an incident of the Franco-Prussian War, when the French defenders of Bazeilles from the Marine Infantry Division fought to the last cartridge during the 1870 Battle of Sedan. The fighting at Bazeilles was celebrated by the French nation amidst an otherwise catastrophic defeat.
Marine Infantrymen worse a full navy blue uniform. For this reason, Neuville preferred to lighten the palette by adding elements painted in red. The presence of an Algerian rifleman (between the window and the closet) and a chasseur a pied (rightmost) is considered incongruous here.
• Fade-resistant • 20.5 mil thick poly-cotton blend canvas • Hand-stretched over solid wood stretcher bars • Matte finish coating
