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Pictures Of Napoleon: Part 1
Jacques-Louis David was flexible- and we have that flexibility of his to thank for the second half of his career. He'd been a Jacobin- one of the fervent revolutionaries responsible for the Reign of Terror, but when Robespieere fell and most of his colleagues went to the guillotine, David discovered he'd been terribly misled and was awfully sorry- and the judges- perhaps reflecting that great artists can be useful to politicians and if you get rid of one you can't expect another to come along any time soon- accepted his repentance and merely banged him up in prison. The times changed, David got out of gaol, looked around for a subject for his brush and lit upon Napoleon.
As Groucho said, "These are my principles and if you don't like them I have others"
But I don't blame David. An artist's prime loyalty is to his art. It's not his business to play the hero but to carry on painting.
And David's images of Napoleon are iconic.
Here's what I believe to be the first of them. Napoleon as the young military hero. Those flashing eyes, that floating hair. It's unfinished but who cares about the background when the chap in the foreground is so charismatic.
We move on a few years, and here's the great man crossing the alps. Napoleon himself loved this image and had it copied at least five times to give to foreign allies and hang in embassies. The eyes flash even more commandingly, the cloak streams in the alpine wind. If David's Death of Marat is the greatest single icon of the revolution then this is the greatest of the Napoleonic era.
Next come two huge canvases. In the first Napoleon crowns himself Emperor, with Josephine kneeling before him. In the second he distributes flags (eagles) to the army. The first is a stone cold masterpiece the second perhaps a little to hysterical to be quite convincing, but neither is dull.
All those faces- and practically every one a portrait. Just think of the work involved!
Finally Napoleon in his study, the sword laid aside. This is the dedicated statesman labouring to all hours for the good of his people. The candle has burned down to its socket. the clock says 12 minutes past four- and you can be sure that's not four in the afternoon but four in the morning.....
And that's it for David. But expect more pictures of Napoleon to follow in succeeding posts. Firstly by other contemporary artitists and then by later artists, looking back.....
As Groucho said, "These are my principles and if you don't like them I have others"
But I don't blame David. An artist's prime loyalty is to his art. It's not his business to play the hero but to carry on painting.
And David's images of Napoleon are iconic.
Here's what I believe to be the first of them. Napoleon as the young military hero. Those flashing eyes, that floating hair. It's unfinished but who cares about the background when the chap in the foreground is so charismatic.
We move on a few years, and here's the great man crossing the alps. Napoleon himself loved this image and had it copied at least five times to give to foreign allies and hang in embassies. The eyes flash even more commandingly, the cloak streams in the alpine wind. If David's Death of Marat is the greatest single icon of the revolution then this is the greatest of the Napoleonic era.
Next come two huge canvases. In the first Napoleon crowns himself Emperor, with Josephine kneeling before him. In the second he distributes flags (eagles) to the army. The first is a stone cold masterpiece the second perhaps a little to hysterical to be quite convincing, but neither is dull.
All those faces- and practically every one a portrait. Just think of the work involved!
Finally Napoleon in his study, the sword laid aside. This is the dedicated statesman labouring to all hours for the good of his people. The candle has burned down to its socket. the clock says 12 minutes past four- and you can be sure that's not four in the afternoon but four in the morning.....
And that's it for David. But expect more pictures of Napoleon to follow in succeeding posts. Firstly by other contemporary artitists and then by later artists, looking back.....
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Perhaps....
But on St Helena he used to played with Betty Balcolmbe, the little daughter of one of his captors and allowed her to call him "Boney".
He had a softer side.
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He had a totally 17th century view of what we are.
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Betsy Balcombe said he was always going on about Josephine and how wonderful she was. Also "Josephine" is supposedly the very last word he said.
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