Bataille de Solferino

Battle of Solferino

Fought over the night of the 23-24 of June 1859, the Battle of Solferino was one of the most savage land battles Europe had ever seen.

The battle of Solferino was decisive engagement in the Austro-Sardinian War or Second War of Italian Independence. It involved the armies of three reigning monarchs against one another - Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont Sardinia and Napoleon III, Emperor of France joined forces gainst the young Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph. Some 270,000 men engaged in a battle which around 30,000 were killed.

The wounded and dying were bayonetted by both sides as they crossed the battelefield. The horrific violence was witnessed by a young Swiss businessman Henri Dunant, who wrote a pamphlet, "A Memory of Solferino" and began a campaign that eventually led to the creation of the International Red Cross and the Geneva Conventions laying down the rules of war for the care of wounded and prisoners.

The Imprimerie Pellerin in Epinal

Les Images d' Épinal from the Imprimerie Pellerin in Epinal in the Vosges region of France were widely distributed in France during the 19th century, often by itinerant peddlers. The woodblocks were printed using an old Gutenberg press, and then colored at the Imprimerie by workers using stencils. Pellerin turned out childrens stories, dominoes, playing cards and historical images glorifying the heroes of the Napoleonic era. The phrase "Image d'Epinal" came in French to be synonmyous with any depiction of which improved upon reality.

Condition: The sheet is creased and there is a portion missing just below the text. See first image above. There are also a few small holes along the crease line.

Dimensions: 25 X 16.5 inches ( 64 X42 cm)

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