François Gérard: Portrait of Michel Ney (1805)

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A painting by the French artist François Gérard (1770-1837). Michel Ney (1769 – 1815) was the son of Pierre Ney, a master cooper, and his wife Margarethe Greiveldinger. At the age of 18, Michel Ney joined the French army and quickly rose up through the non-commissioned officer ranks (in the royal French army the officer ranks were restricted to those with four quarterings of nobility). After the French revolution, Ney was commissioned as an officer and became a géneral de division in 1799. Napoleon promoted Ney on 19 May 1804 as a Marshal of the Empire and fought alongside Napoleon during every campaign. During the retreat from Russia in 1812 Ney commanded the rearguard and for his bravery, he received the nickname "the bravest of the brave" by Napoleon who also promoted him to Prince of the Moskva (Ney received the title Duke of Elchingen earlier in 1808). After the abdication of Napoleon in 1814 Michel Ney pledged his allegiance to the restored French monarchy. When Napoleon returned from his exile on Elba, Ney was ordered to stop Napoleon's march on Paris. Instead, Ney joined Napoleon at Auxerre on 18 March 1815 and was made commander of the left-wing of the Army of the North. At the battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815) Ney commanded the left-wing of the army and tried to capture Hougoumont and launched a failed mass cavalry charge against the Anglo-Allied line. After the final defeat of Napoleon Ney was arrested on 3 August 1815, tried for treason and executed by firing squad on 7 December 1815. Michel Ney married Aglaé Louise (1782 – 1854), the couple had four sons. Painting from 1805.