Edouard Detaille (October 5, 1848 - December 23, 1912), was a French Academic painter noted for his precision and realistic detail. Detaille was a student of the great Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier. He served in the French Army in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 and became the official painter of the battles. He is famous for having depicted portraits of soldiers, military manoeuvres, military uniforms and general military life. His book, L'Armée Française, containing hundreds of his illustrations and prints, remains definitive in this realm.
