From Sheperd Paine: The Life and Work of a Master Military Modeler and Historian by Jim DeRogatis (Schiffer Books, 2008)

J.D. There is more of a story behind “The Visitor,” however.

S.P. Yes. I saw an old illustration of Napoleon sitting in a farm kitchen, with his staff officers around him and the inhabitants of the house standing to one side, watching him. As I recall, in the painting, Napoleon is asleep. The box isn’t faithful to the painting, where all of the characters were facing toward you. I’ve always liked the idea of having certain figures facing away from the viewer. The emperor is sitting with his back toward you, and there’s the peasant family, a staff officer, and the grenadier standing sentry outside the door. I felt that that was all the scene needed.

J.D. And the child picking her nose?

S.P. Because the story is so simple, I felt it needed something else. I always like to have some details there for people to look at it after they’ve absorbed the main scene. There are some dispatch cases and other things lying around, but there really aren’t a lot of extra touches here, so the little girl picking her nose was irresistible. It’s also a nice contrast, because the parents are so in awe of the visitor in their kitchen, and the kid couldn’t care less. There’s a little boy in the scene, too, and the mother is shushing him. As a personal touch, there’s a small cow pull-toy on the floor.

J.D. Even though we can’t see his face, Napoleon looks distraught.

S.P. Weary, maybe, or just sitting there, thinking, or possibly he’s asleep. What he’s doing isn’t important; it’s who he is. I would like to think this was 1813 or 1814, when he his empire was crumbling and he was fighting a losing battle for survival.

J.D. The piece has a beautiful orange glow that comes from the fire.

S.P. The fire isn’t as bright in the box as it is in the pictures, but it was done the same way as the fires in my other boxes.