Rare WWI 1917 Military Artwork – Captain M. Amirault – Russian Prisoners of War – Historical Provenance
Frame size 20x14 inches
An exceptional piece of World War I military art, created in 1917 by French officer Captain M. Amirault, depicting the arrival of Russian prisoners of war at the German POW camp in Halle in September 1914.
Original French title: Arrivée de Prisonniers Russes – Camp de Halle, Sept. 1914 (Arrival of Russian Prisoners – Halle Camp, September 1914).
The artwork depicts a column of Russian prisoners accompanied by armed German guards. The expressive composition features detailed figures, distinctive military uniforms, and carefully applied color, capturing a historical scene from the opening months of World War I.
The artwork is signed M. Amirault and dated 1917 in the lower right corner.
The Artist – Captain M. Amirault
Captain M. Amirault was a French military officer and artist associated with the First World War.
During the war, he was held in German captivity and subsequently documented as a French internee in Vevey, Switzerland.
His surviving wartime artwork provides a fascinating visual record of military captivity, camp life, and the experiences of prisoners during the Great War.
Historical Provenance – Original Swiss-American Commission Label
One of the most significant features of this particular example is the original historical charity commission label preserved on the reverse.
The label was issued by:
Commission Suisse-Amérique, Berne – Section Française
The Swiss-American Commission assisted prisoners of war and military internees during World War I.
The original label includes:
* Series C, No. 104
* Exécuté par: Capitaine Amirault – Executed by Captain Amirault
* Interné français, Vevey – French internee, Vevey, Switzerland
* Reference to the American delegate Mme. Slavko Grouitch
The printed French text explains that objects produced by prisoners of war and internees in Switzerland were sold to provide financial and material assistance to their makers.
The label features elaborate patriotic artwork incorporating the Statue of Liberty, the American flag, the Swiss coat of arms, and the Latin inscriptions LIBERTAS (Liberty) and CARITAS (Charity).
Importantly, the artist’s signature on the artwork corresponds to the name Captain Amirault recorded on the original commission label, providing valuable historical documentation connecting the artwork to its creator.
sale History and Collectible Significance
The artistic legacy of Captain Amirault has attracted attention in the European antique and military-art market.
On September 29, 2026, the French sale house Maison de Ventes Richard offered an important album containing more than 150 drawings and paintings by Captain Amirault, created during 1914–1916 in the German prisoner-of-war camps of Halle, Magdeburg, and Beeskow.
The album contained 74 pages of wartime artwork executed in pencil, ink, watercolor, and pastel.
The sale estimate was €800–€1,000, demonstrating recognized interest in Amirault’s historical artwork.
This particular example is especially desirable because it combines a signed and dated 1917 military scene with an original numbered Swiss-American Commission label documenting the artist and the historical charitable distribution of his work.
Historical and Museum Interest
Artwork documenting World War I captivity is of particular interest to military historians, museums, archives, and collectors of original wartime material.
This example offers several important collecting themes:
* World War I military art and historical illustrations
* Russian prisoners of war in Germany
* French military officers and wartime artists
* Prisoner-of-war and internee art
* Swiss-American humanitarian assistance during WWI
* Original historical documents and wartime provenance
The combination of signed artwork, a precisely identified historical subject, and a surviving numbered humanitarian commission label makes this an especially interesting and historically significant collectible.
Condition
Antique condition consistent with its age of over 100 years.
The artwork displays natural paper aging, some discoloration, scattered age spots, and other signs of age. Presented under glass in an antique decorative frame.
The reverse retains its historical commission label and shows signs of previous framing, including applied tape.
Please examine all photographs carefully for details of the artwork, signature, historical labels, framing, and overall condition.
A remarkable piece of World War I history, combining military artwork, historical documentation, and documented sale interest in the artist.
