“Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne”
“Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne” is a grand and quite large oil on canvas painting from 1806 by the French Neoclassical artist, Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres.
In this piece, Napoleon is depicted in his ornate and wonderfully detailed coronation outfit that he wore in 1804 when he formally gained control of France. On his head is a golden Civic Crown, reminiscent of the one wore by Julius Caesar in Ancient Rome for his military achievements. He is holding the scepter of Charlemagne in his right hand. In his left hand is the hand of justice. A grand history painting portrait, Napoleon is depicted with his gaze unabashedly at the viewer, his face stoic and his pose statuesque.
This painting was first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1806 under the title, “His Majesty the Emperor on his throne”. At the time, it was owned by the Corps législatif; a government body instituted by Napoleon after the French Revolution.
It was panned by the critics who thought it’s style antiquated. Art critics believe that the pose and immensity that Ingres gave Napoleon was inspired by the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. This very large statue was built by Phidias circa 435 BC.
Though Ingres’s portraits are what he is most remembered for today, at the time of its initial exhibition, this portrait was poorly received. Critics thought that Ingres’s symbolism and form taken from past masterpieces was akin to copying.They saw it as too gothic and old-fashioned.
As the recipient of the prestigious Prix de Rome, Ingres had to leave for Rome just days before the Paris Salon. Due to the adverse reception to his work, Ingres stayed in Rome after his patronage ended. He only returned to Paris in 1824 after the success of his painting, “Vow of Louis XXIII”.
“Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne” is currently in the collections of the Musée de l’Armée in Paris, France.
For more on Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres, please visit his short biography here.