Napoleon

May 26, 2021 December 19, 2021 Exhibition has ended

Marking the bicentenary of his death, the Napoléon exhibition explores the unlikely story of a complex character who was at once admired and controversial, victorious and conquered, heroic and tragic; a dramatic story that continues to fascinate our contemporaries to this day. It will highlight his political and cultural legacies that have profoundly impacted certain countries, chief among them France, as well as the mistakes he made.

Posters & Reproductions

Poster Jacques-Louis David - The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon I - 50 x 70 cm

IA200595

Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)
The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon I and the Crowning of the Empress Joséphine in Notre-Dame Cathedral on December 2, 1804 (detail), 1806 -1807 - Oil on canvas. H. 621 ; l. 979 cm - Paris, musée du Louvre, département des Peintures - © Photo Rmn - GP (musée du Louvre) / H. Lewandowski

Jacques Louis David was commissioned by Napoleon I to paint this huge canvas which depicts the splendor of the emperor's Coronation while conveying its political and symbolic message. The painter himself was present at the ceremony, and once back in his studio portrayed the colorful congregation with realism, combining accuracy with artistry while also complying with the Emperor's instructions. He thus met the challenge of producing a monumental work that would glorify the event and occupy a unique place in the history of painting.