Battle scene from the Caucasian War. Battle of Dargo
Artist F.A.Roubaud
1895
Artist’s signature: “Ф.А. Рубо, 1895 г.” (right below)
Oil on canvas
82 х 110 cm
Open storage
Battle of Dargo is a military operation undertaken in May–June 1845 by the Special Caucasian Corps commanded by Count M.S.Vorontsov, in order to capture the headquarters of Imam Shamil in Dargo aul.
On July 7, the detachment of Count Vorontsov entered the aul (village), which had been abandoned by its inhabitants and burned down. After living Dargo the mountaineers settled in the neighborhood and continuously fired at positions of Russian troops. The unit surrounded by the enemy, was out of ammunition and food; its situation was critical. The supply convoy sent to Dargo couldn’t pass through the surrounding woods, so a unit commanded by general F.K.Klűge von Klugenau was sent to support the convoy. The unit consisted of 6 battalions, several hundred Cossacks and militia and also 4 mountain guns. Breaking through the encirclement, during the two days of fierce fight of September 10 and 11, the unit suffered great losses: 2 generals, 44 staff and chief officers were killed, 1275 lower ranks were killed and injured, 3 mountain guns and most of the horses with packs and food were lost. Soldiers called this tragic march a “dry bread expedition”. Roubaud’s painting depicts the 3rd battalion of the Apsheron regiment engaged in a hand-to-hand fight in a forest.
Franz Alekseyevich Roubaud (1856–1928) was a Russian artist, academician and head of a battle painting studio of the Academy of Arts. He is a founder of the Russian school of panoramic painting and the author of about 200 monumental works. Roubaud studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts (1878–1883). After his return to Russia he was commissioned by the Tiflis Military History Museum to make a series of paintings from the history of the Caucasian wars, he worked on them in 1885-1895. In 1890, Roubaud painted a huge panorama “Siege of Akhulgo”. In 1902–1904, the panorama “Defense of Sebastopol” was created under his direction, in 1912 the panorama “Battle of Borodino” was made for the centenary of the battle.
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