Gifts for History Lovers — Signed Military Art Prints by Giuseppe Rava

If the person you are buying for reads about Waterloo for pleasure, owns more Osprey titles than shelf space, and can tell a cuirassier from a dragoon at a glance, a generic history-themed gift will not land. These are signed fine art prints by Giuseppe Rava, a military illustrator whose work appears in Osprey Publishing titles and museum collections — the kind of images that history readers already recognise from the books on their shelves.

Every plate is a reconstruction, not a decoration. Uniforms, weapons, insignia and terrain follow the documentary record, which is exactly what makes them work as a gift for someone who would notice if they did not. Over 270 subjects, from the Roman legions to the Second World War, and prices starting at €23.

Best gifts for history lovers

If you are not sure where to start, start here: these are the plates that people actually buy, ranked by orders placed since the shop opened. There is a reason the same handful of subjects keeps coming back — they are the moments everyone who loves history has read about.

Christmas gifts for history lovers

Prints ship worldwide and arrive ready to frame, which makes them one of the few gifts you can order late and still get right. Order early in December for Christmas delivery — the limited-run editions are numbered by hand, and once a number is gone it is gone.

A practical suggestion, if you are buying for someone whose interests you know only vaguely: pick the period, not the battle. Somebody who likes “Rome” will be happy with a legionary study; somebody who likes “Napoleon” may have very specific opinions about which regiment charged where.

Gift ideas by period

Ancient world — Greece, Rome, Egypt

Legions, phalanxes, hoplites and chariots. The largest section of the catalogue, and the safest choice for a reader whose interests you do not know in detail.

Middle Ages

Crusaders, Templars, Byzantines, the Hundred Years War and the Mongol campaigns.

Napoleonic Wars

The most requested period of all: Waterloo, Eylau, the Imperial Guard, the cavalry of both sides.

Nineteenth and twentieth century

The colonial wars, the Risorgimento, the two World Wars.

What you actually get

Four different things are for sale here, and they suit very different budgets:

• Fine art print, SRA3 (45 × 32 cm), hand signed — the standard edition, from €23. Signed by the artist, ready to frame.
• Limited run of 300, numbered and hand signed — the same image on the same paper, but numbered. From €49.
• Giclée canvas, large format — for the plates that deserve a wall rather than a shelf.
• Original paintings — gouache or acrylic on board, one of a kind. If you are buying for a serious collector, this is the section to look at.

Gifts for him, gifts for her

We are not going to sort the catalogue by gender, because military history readers do not. What actually helps is knowing which period they read, and — if you can find out — which side they are sentimental about. A print of the Scots Greys charging at Waterloo is a very different gift depending on whether the recipient’s sympathies are British or French, and someone who cares enough to have a preference will notice which one you chose.

Frequently asked questions

What makes these different from a poster?

They are signed by the artist, printed on fine art paper, and in the limited editions individually numbered. More importantly, they are researched: the equipment, insignia and uniforms are documented rather than invented.

Do you ship worldwide?

Yes. Shipping is calculated at checkout.

Are the prints numbered?

The limited runs of 300 are numbered and signed by hand. The standard fine art prints are signed but not numbered.

Can I request a subject that is not on this page?

The full catalogue holds more than 270 plates across every period from the ancient world to 1945. If the subject exists, it is probably in there.

Who is Giuseppe Rava?

An Italian historical and military illustrator, self-taught, whose work has appeared in Osprey Publishing titles and international military history publications. He has been painting soldiers since he was a boy, which is the short version of why the details are right.