Napoleon Crossing the Alps: Historical Meaning
Behind the Portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte
by Lillian Bonar
Essay: Napoleon Crossing the Alps: Historical Meaning Behind the Portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte
Pages: 11
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Napoleon crossing the Alps is also is the title given to the five versions of oil on canvas equestrian portrait of
Napoleon Bonaparte painted by the French artist Jacques-Louis David between 1801 and 1805. Initially
commissioned by the Spanish Ambassador to France, the composition shows a strongly idealized view of the real
crossing that Napoleon and his army made across the Alps through the Great St. Bernard Pass in May 1800.
Napoleon comes across to me as a leader in many different of ways. Jacques- Louis David is the creator of this
painting. He has put certain devices and effects in his work to help the viewers come to a certain opinion and have
a certain type of an impression of Napoleon. This was after Napoleon had took his army a crossed the Alps. He
surprised and defeated an Austrian army. His calm, controlled figure is guiding a wildly rearing horse is symbolic
of his vision of himself as bringing order to post revolutionary France. This was Jacques-Louis David’s earliest
painting. This piece of work was propaganda. Propaganda is communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a
community towards some cause. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic
sense, often presents information primarily in order to influence its audience.
The painting was not very realistic. Napoleon is much larger then his horse. He was a very short man and only was
about Five foot four inches tall. David did this on purpose to make him seem larger than life. Another unrealistic
part of this painting was that he did not ride a horse he rode a mule. His point of doing that was to make him
seem higher, like a king. Napoleons clothes were in great condition for completing such a hard task to d...
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