Anno 1812. Captain Benthien on the Beresina 1851 - 1897

Lawrence Alma-Tadema painted Anno 1812. Captain Benthien on the Beresina, which depicts a tragic scene from Napoleon’s retreat from Russia. Alma-Tadema painted historical genre paintings; in this work he captures an intensely intimate moment of war. Here, amidst the biting cold of the Russian winter, soldiers struggle to build a pontoon bridge across the Beresina River as others around them drown in the icy waters. This painting invites you to consider the human cost of war, challenging heroic narratives by focusing on the intimate, personal experiences of the common soldier. The figures, caught in moments of desperation and struggle, are rendered with careful detail, their faces etched with exhaustion and despair. Alma-Tadema presents a moment of collective suffering, highlighting the shared experience of trauma that transcends rank or nationality. This emotionally charged depiction speaks to the universal themes of survival, sacrifice, and the devastating impact of conflict on individual lives.