Two Cimbaliers from the Musical Band of the Régiment des Gardes Françaises, Unframed. Colorful lithograph that depicts two cymbal players (cimbaliers) from the musical band of the Régiment des Gardes Françaises, the senior infantry unit of the French Royal Household before the Revolution. Part of a series created around 1786 by Nicolaus Hoffmann—a Hessian artist and specialist in uniformology sent to Paris to document military costumes—the artwork provides a meticulous study of the "grand uniform." These musicians are shown in highly ornate, "orientalized" attire typical of late 18th-century European military bands, featuring elaborate plumed turbans, richly embroidered justaucorps, and wide sashes. The inclusion of Black musicians in these specific, exoticized roles served as a prominent status symbol for royal and noble households of the period, reflecting the era's aesthetic and social hierarchies through the lens of military pageantry. image: 11 x 9 inches; sheet: 17 x 11.75 inches $120-160
