Uniformen van Franse cavalerie van Condé 1795 - 1796

S.G. Casten’s watercolor drawing depicts the uniforms of the French cavalry of Condé. These were royalist émigré troops who fought against the French Revolution. The image is a window into the turmoil of late 18th-century France. The French Revolution sought to dismantle the old social hierarchy and aristocratic privileges. The Condé cavalry, named after their leader Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, represents those who resisted these changes. The uniforms, so carefully rendered, speak to the identity of the men who wore them. They evoke the ideals of loyalty and tradition while being worn by exiled figures. They were literally and figuratively displaced in their role to preserve a fading world. This drawing offers a glimpse into a moment of profound social and political upheaval. It reminds us that identity is often forged in times of conflict and displacement.