JULES CHÉRET (1836-1932) HIPPODROME / SKOBELEFF. 1888. 48 1/2x36 inches, 122x91 1/2 cm. Chaix, Paris. Condition B / B+: restoration along vertical and horizontal folds; expertly restored loss in image; foxing in margins. Michel Skobeleff, "the white general," became an incredibly popular figure in Russia after his epic victory in the Russo-Turkish war in 1877. Such was his celebrity that fashions and even a brand of cigarettes were named after him. His premature (and arguably suspicious) death in 1882, at age 39, only served to cement his legacy. In 1888 the Paris Hippodrome, which had developed a reputation for staging spectacular historical recreations, presented a reenactment of the battle of San Stephano. Cheret portrays the general in a commanding pose astride his white horse, with a soldier holding the Russian Imperial flag behind him. Broido 417, Maindron 339, Reims 516.
