Louis Albert Guislain Bacler d'Albe

Life & Legacy

Louis Albert Guislain, Baron Bacler d’Albe (French pronunciation: [bakle dalb]; October 21, 1761 – September 12, 1824) was a French artist, as well as the map-maker and closest strategic advisor of Napoleon from 1796 until 1814.
Bacler d'Albe was one of Napoleon's longest-lasting companions: a fellow artilleryman at the Siege of Toulon, he was listed in Napoleon's will, drawn up in Saint Helena in 1821, amongst the names of educators for his son. He was Napoleon's most trusted strategic military adviser between 1799 and 1814 as chief of his personal topographical committee.
He was considered one of the best map-makers of his time. He perfected the technique of relief shading, directed the Dépôt de la Guerre, and made the first homogeneous maps of Italy and then of Europe (with the title "Map of the Emperor"), lost during the retreat of Russia.
He was also considered an innovator in military art, using both his topographical knowledge and sensitivity for human detail, and a talented engraver, known for his landscapes of Savoy and of other scenes throughout Europe during the Empire's campaigns.