Audio Stop 662
Jacques-Louis David
The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries, 1812
West Building, Main Floor - Gallery 56
In this imposing portrait, the French emperor Napoleon is shown dressed in his military uniform and standing in front of his desk, upon which rests a copy of the Napoleonic Code. Behind him, the quill pen and papers that are spread haphazardly across the desk, a nearly extinguished candle, and the clock on the wall that reads 4:13 a.m. suggest that he has spent the night composing the new legal code. By underscoring Napoleon’s military prowess, his administrative skill, and his dedication to the well-being of his subjects, Jacques-Louis David created a potent image of imperial power.
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EARL A. POWELL III:
At first glance, this majestic vision of Napoleon in his Study looks like a realistic portrait, but in fact it’s a brilliant piece of political propaganda by Jacques-Louis David, founder of the neoclassical school of French painting. A passionate and political artist, David turned the revolutionary changes in 18th-century France to his own advantage. He voted for the death of Louis XVI, who had been his royal patron, then devoted himself to Napoleon Bonaparte. When Napoleon crowned himself emperor in 1804, he appointed David First Painter to the court, and David accepted.
Every detail of this meticulous life-sized portrait is carefully orchestrated. We come upon the Emperor standing at his desk, his hand tucked casually into his vest, a typical relaxed stance at a time when men’s trousers did not have pockets.
Although Napoleon was just over five feet tall, David made him appear taller by lowering the height of the desk and drawing our eyes upward by vertical elements such as the tall clock or the architectural wall decoration.
The picture is full of symbolic detail. The chair, for example, is modeled after an imperial throne, and its upholstery is decorated with heraldic bees, at once symbols of hard work and references to earlier rulers. Beneath the desk lies a lavish copy of Plutarch’s Lives of Great Men, connecting Napoleon with Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and others destined to lead empires. Bonaparte was determined that his conquests should equal or surpass those of ancient Rome.
Napoleon wears the evening uniform of the elite corps of the French army, resplendent with three impressive medals, including the Legion of Honor, which he established and presented to himself. But his stockings are wrinkled, his hair disheveled, and he needs a shave. This too is part of the message. Look carefully and you’ll notice that the candle is burning low, and the clock reads four thirteen. In fact, we are meant to believe that this devoted servant of the people has been working all night, perhaps on the Napoleonic code that lies on the desk, one of his proudest achievements, and the basis of French civil law. The political intentions are clear, but David’s masterful blending of naturalism and idealism raise this painting to the status of a major work of art.
The emperor came to David’s studio only once, a good fifteen years before this portrait was painted, but the artist was thoroughly familiar with his subject, and knew how to please him. Napoleon himself is said to have declared:
NAPOLEON (ACTOR):
“You have understood me, David—by night I work for the welfare of my subjects, and by day for their glory.”
EARL A. POWELL III:
The emperor felt that David had captured his image so well that he asked the artist to do a second version of this memorable picture. To this day it remains with Napoleon’s descendants.