The Wounded Officer of the Imperial Guard Leaving the Battlefield

The painting was exhibited at the Salon of 1814 and met with criticism. The wounded officer, who can still clutch the reins of his rearing horse, is casting his eyes upwards to the dark, clouded sky. This was interpreted as the symbol of France in defeat, vainly trying to summon up the strength for a heroic stand. The criticism was such that the painter threatened several times to destroy the work.