The French Portrayal of Russian Soldiers During Napoleon’s Invasion of 1812

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The purpose of this research is to examine how French imperialists portrayed Russian civilians and soldiers during the Napoleonic Invasion of 1812. This research focuses on two artists’ interpretations of key people, places, and events in the invasion, Albrecht Adam and Aleksandr Yurievich Averyanov, and shows how the French attitude became increasingly hostile towards the Russians. In contrast to Russian depictions of the invasion, during which the Russians defeated the French, the French paintings increasingly represent the Russian soldiers as evil and incompetent. By investigating how an imperialist force portrays the soldiers of the nation it has invaded, historians can further understand how artists contribute to a nation’s understanding of events.