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The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries is an 1812 painting by Jacques-Louis David. It shows French Emperor Napoleon I in uniform in his study at the Tuileries Palace. Despite the detail, it is unlikely that Napoleon posed for the portrait.[1]

The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries
Artist	Jacques-Louis David
Year	1812
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	203.9 cm × 125.1 cm (80.3 in × 49.3 in)
Location	National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

It was a private commission from the Scottish nobleman and admirer of Napoleon, Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton in 1811 and completed in 1812. Originally shown at Hamilton Palace, it was sold to Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery in 1882, from whom it was bought by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in 1954, which deposited it in Washington D.C.'s National Gallery of Art, where it now hangs.[2]

Iconography

Vertical in format, it shows Napoleon standing, three-quarters life size, wearing the uniform of a colonel of the Imperial Guard Foot Grenadiers (blue with white facings and red cuffs). He also wears his Légion d'honneur and Order of the Iron Crown decorations, along with gold epaulettes, white French-style culottes and white stockings. His face is turned towards the viewer and his right hand is in his jacket.

Piled on the desk are a pen, several books, dossiers and rolled papers. More rolled papers and a map are on the green carpet to the left of the desk – on these papers is the painter's signature LVD^ci DAVID OPVS 1812. All this, along with Napoleon's unbuttoned cuffs, wrinkled stockings, disheveled hair, the flickering candles and the time on the clock (4:13 am) are all meant to imply he has been up all night, writing laws such as the Code Napoléon – the word "Code" is prominent on the rolled papers on the desk. This maintains his new civil rather than heroic (as in Canova's Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker) or military (as in David's own Napoleon Crossing the Alps) image, though the sword on the chair's armrest still refers back to his military successes. The fleurs-de-lys and heraldic bees also imply the stability of the imperial dynasty.[1]

Development

This section does not cite any sources. (May 2017)

An analysis of the original painting reveals that the artist reedited the composition and details several times to balance the image, add allusions, and capture a complete story.

Brush strokes and texture indicate that an earlier version had Napoleon's upper body flanked by two fluted columns about the width of the figure's torso. These strong vertical elements would have created a distraction from the central figure.

These columns were revised to a carved panel in shadow (on the viewer's left) and a clock with a large face (viewer's right) on level with and somewhat larger than the figure's face. The clock was later repainted with a smaller face moved up and to the right, with the clock body still covering the underlying column brush strokes.

These revisions greatly improved the compositional balance of the painting's upper section, reducing the impression of three vertical columns. They successfully moved the viewer's focus to Napoleon's face and expression and away from the presumably accurate stature and middle-heavy build.

The change also allowed incorporating additional symbology, most notably the time (4:13).

Other revisions were added symbols on the table items and lower section, many painted over fleurs-de-lis which are conspicuously rare in the final image.

References

External video
David's The Emperor Napoleon In His Study at the Tuileries, Smarthistory[3]

Further reading

• Mayer, Manuel (2019). Die Erschöpfung des Kaisers. Jacques-Louis Davids Napoleon im Washingtoner Tuilerien-Portrait. ART-Dok. Publikationsplattform Kunst- und Bildwissenschaften der Universität Heidelberg. pp. 1–11.
• Antoine Schnapper David, 1748-1825, catalogue de l'exposition Louvre-Versailles 1989 ed. Réunion des musées nationaux, Paris, 1989 - Sur le tableau No 206 et 207 pages 474 - 477.
• Bordes, Philippe (2007). Jacques-Louis David: Empire to Exile. Yale University Press. p. 400. ISBN 9780300123463.

External links

• National Gallery of Art - catalogue entry
• Second version - image

На других языках

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- [en] The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries

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[es] Retrato de Napoleón en su gabinete de trabajo

Retrato de Napoleón en su gabinete de trabajo (en francés Napoléon dans son bureau) es una obra de Jacques-Louis David, pintor oficial de Napoleón Bonaparte de la que hay dos versiones. La original, que data de 1812, es la que se conserva en la Galería Nacional de Arte de Washington D. C. Se trata de una pintura al óleo que mide 204 centímetros de alto y 125 de ancho. Hay otra versión en el Palacio de Versalles, Francia.

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[fr] Napoléon dans son cabinet de travail

Napoléon dans son cabinet de travail est un tableau peint par Jacques Louis David en 1812 qui représente l'empereur Napoléon Ier en uniforme dans son bureau des Tuileries. Ce portrait est une commande privée d'un noble écossais Lord Douglas, il est conservé à la National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Une seconde version fut peinte par David qui diffère par la couleur verte de l'uniforme, celui des chasseurs à cheval. Cette dernière faisait partie de l'ancienne collection du Prince Napoléon. Elle est conservée depuis 1979 au château de Versailles.

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[it] Napoleone nel suo gabinetto di lavoro

Napoleone nel suo studio è un ritratto di Jacques Louis David realizzato nel 1812 che rappresenta l'imperatore Napoleone I in uniforme nel suo studio alle Tuileries. Questo ritratto fu una commissione privata voluta dal nobile scozzese lord Hamilton, conservato oggi alla National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Una seconda versione del dipinto venne realizzato da David con un colore leggermente più verde nell'uniforme, più simile a quella dei chasseurs à cheval. Quest'ultima versione entrò a far parte della collezione del principe Luigi Napoleone Bonaparte e dal 1979 è conservata presso la reggia di Versailles.

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