Georg Bleibtreu

Georg Bleibtreu (27 March 1828 – 16 October 1892) was a German painter of military and historical scenes.

The background work to these paintings was done in the field as the artist accompanied the armies; in 1866, he traveled in the suite of Prince Frederick Charles until august when he returned to Berlin with a portfolio of sketches taken at the front.

Following the successful war against Denmark, the Prussian king invited artists in December 1864 to compete for a prize of 10,000 thaler by painting a large canvas representing the victory at Düppel, the winning piece to by sent to the National Gallery in Berlin.

This style pervaded many of Bleibtreu's works where the focus was on the commander, who was often a member of the German royal family, surrounded by his soldiers in battle; this was often because the painting was a commission from the personage depicted.

Shortly after the end of the war with France, he set up a studio in a quiet wing of the Palace of Versailles to commence work on two paintings, one representing the Crown Prince of Prussia at Wörth, and the other, King William at Battle of Sedan.