Military Uniforms: Power, Authority, and Sex Appeal with Dr Eugene Barilo Von Reisberg

During a visit to the celebrated Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris, Eugene Barilo von Reisberg became intrigued by the portrait of the museum’s founder, banker, property developer, and art collector, Edouard André (1833-1894), in a splendid military uniform. The lecture narrates the ensuing research into the history of military uniforms, with an emphasis on the nineteenth century, and its popularity among the upper echelons of the affluent middle classes as an expression of patriotism, power, and authority, as well as the concomitant social advancement, upward mobility, and even sex appeal.  

Dr Eugene Barilo Von Reisberg is a Melbourne-based scholar and art adviser, who shares his passion for art, history, and culture from the eighteenth century to the present day through regular lectures and publications. He has completed a doctoral dissertation on Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873), the 19th-century elite portrait specialist, and is currently working towards a catalogue raisonné of the artist’s works. 

Your ticket includes tea or Market Lane coffee served before the presentation, and time to browse our exclusive range of books, gifts, and homewares at TJC Emporium.

This event is presented on-site at The Johnston Collection. Please see your ticket for details. NOTE: Tickets for this event do not include access to our house museum, Fairhall. Guided tours of the current exhibition can be booked separately.

This event is supported by The Colin Holden Charitable Trust.

Image: Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-73). Portrait of Edouard André (1833-1894) (detail), 1857. Paris: Musée Jacquemart-André.