DAVID AND NAPOLEON:
AN IMAGE-MAKER AND HIS ICON
Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825) was the preeminent French artist of the late
18th and early 19th centuries. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) was one of the most
influential military leaders of all times. While David was fascinated by the military
commander’s charisma and nationalist ideals, Napoleon saw advantage in having the
most celebrated living painter support his cause. Together, they created a formidable
propaganda machine that helped sustain Napoleon’s hold on power for over a decade,
and a longer lasting myth of the military man’s might.
By the time he met Napoleon in 1797, David had already left his mark on both
art and politics. He had reaped the rewards of royal patronage, taken part in the
French Revolution, and survived imprisonment. Upon his release from prison in 1795,
David was ready to make a fresh start and nimbly capitalized on Napoleon’s rise. His
mastery of history painting proved useful, serving the military leader’s political aims
and related artistic needs until the fall of the Empire in 1815.
The relationship between the two men was propelled by similarities. Both
revered the classical world, with David looking back for artistic inspiration and
Napoleon for political ideas, which he eventually drew on for his civil codes. The two
also understood the power of art and its ability to influence. Napoleon would invite
artists onto the battlefield to help spread the word about his might and victories,
while David was an expert at conveying clear messages in his art. More than any other
artist, David shaped the image of Napoleon that still endures today.
David was responsible for creating a legitimizing and stable representation of
Napoleon, who had, until then, been portrayed mostly in a loose way. The strict codes
in effect for the representation of royalty, regulating the choice of costume,
accessories, setting, pose, and expression had collapsed with the Revolution. David
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faced the daunting task of finding a balance between traditional iconography and the
modern, flashy dynamism that marked Napoleon and his career.
After seizing power and establishing himself as first consul in 1799, Napoleon
worked hard to discredit the idea that the consulate was a military dictatorship—a
prospect that opposed the ideals of the French Revolution. To promote himself as a
statesman, Napoleon commissioned a series of portraits of himself in civilian costume.
The many artists who executed official portraits of Napoleon at this time each
negotiated that challenge in a different way. David recognized that monarchial
imagery failed to capture a fundamental quality of Napoleon’s rise to power: the
triumph of individual will. Without the advantage of birth and lineage, he was an
extreme example of revolutionary meritocracy. David’s solution was to blend in
references to history to validate the military leader’s power. In Bonaparte Crossing the
Alps at Grand-Saint-Bernard, he places Napoleon in the company of legendary leaders
by adding inscriptions citing Hannibal and Charlemagne, and constructing an idealized
image of Napoleon that links him to great historical predecessors in the long tradition
of ancient Roman and Renaissance equestrian portraits. Unfazed by all challenges
posed by man or nature, Napoleon is shown charging onward with all his energies
directed toward the glorious future.
After 1804, to ensure the political credibility of his new role as emperor,
Napoleon began to imitate absolute monarchs, demanding that his entourage remain
at a respectful distance. Reviving a courtly tradition, Napoleon appointed David as first
painter to the emperor, with a commission to produce a suite of four immense
paintings to celebrate the coronation ceremonies. David worked on the commission
for at least three years, developing and adjusting the compositions in consultation
with Napoleon. As first conceived, The Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine was
faithful to reality, showing Napoleon crowning himself in Nôtre Dame Cathedral in an
aggressively confident gesture. Napoleon sensed the provocative nature of this
attitude and ordered David to modify the work, eventually transforming it into a
representation of Napoleon crowning Josephine. With the crown hovering in mid-air,
David’s painting portrays everyone transfixed by the event, except for Napoleon and
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the Pope, who direct their gaze on Josephine. This depiction of courtly splendor
celebrates the new imperial era, but draws self-absorbed attention away from
Napoleon, instead focusing on his actions in the spirit of chivalry. This painting
represents a compromise between two strong opinions, revealing how David and
Napoleon worked together to each achieve their own place in history.
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Note to editors: Images available on request.
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Beth Brett
Getty Communications Dept.
310-440-6473
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