German cavalry in Leuven.

Galvanized copperplate, 19 x 24 cm, unsigned (min. rust stains, edges plate affected by galvanisation process).

In this etching Delaunois portrays a group of German cavalrymen during their raid on the city of Leuven. After a few days of occupation, on August 25, 1914, the Leuven city center was destroyed by German troops. Many civilian houses and historic buildings went up in flames. A preliminary sketch at the M Museum and a print at KBR are consultable for comparison. Delaunois (1875-1941) received his education at the Academies of Brussels and Leuven, where Constantin Meunier was his teacher.