PICTURE GALLERY "RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN OF 1812"

Page 33

The Retreat (The picture by Vereschagin) On this picture you can see the highway from Krasny to Minsk. The motionless trees covered with white hoar-frost are on the both sides of the road. The endless white field stretched far away beyond the road, and somewhere very far a thin line of a forest is seen. And everywhere there is snow, snow and snow... The air is quiet; there is not a single cloud on the sky, the reddish sun-rays are sparkling on the snow. The hard frost has locked the ground and the dry and hard snow is crunching under feet. There is not a breath of air, only the mysterious and sinister silence... The are no usual loud and triuphant shouts "Vive l'Empereur!"... The Emperor... Here he is wrapped up in a fur-coat, wearing a warm cap that looks so unusual for his figure. He is walking slowly leaninig upon a stick and after him all his General Staff is walking, not far a carrige is seen in that Napolen drove during the retreat, and the Guard is behing them...