Who painted Bonaparte at the Pont d'Arcole in 1796?
Antoine-Jean Gros painted Bonaparte at the Pont d'Arcole in 1796. The canvas shows a three-quarter-length image of General Napoleon Bonaparte holding the flagstaff of the Armée d'Italie.
Questions about Bonaparte at the Pont d'Arcole
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Joséphine de Beauharnais help complete the painting of Bonaparte at the Pont d'Arcole?
Joséphine de Beauharnais commissioned the work and solved the problem of Napoleon's restlessness by allowing him to sit in her lap. She embraced him for the duration required by Gros, transforming a difficult sitting into an intimate moment between the couple.
Where is the main version of Bonaparte at the Pont d'Arcole located today?
The Louvre now holds inventory number RF271 for this version of the painting. The artwork traveled to the château de Compiègne in 1901 before finally reaching the Palace of Versailles in 1938 with inventory number MV 6314.
When was Bonaparte at the Pont d'Arcole exhibited after its completion?
The painting was executed in Naples during 1796 and subsequently exhibited at the Salon of 1801. It passed through various private collections after its initial showing and has been displayed in multiple institutions across France over two centuries.
What other versions of Bonaparte at the Pont d'Arcole exist besides the Louvre sketch?
Other versions exist at the Arenenberg museum in Switzerland within the canton of Thurgovie Musée Napoléon. A third version resides in Saint Petersburg at the Hermitage Museum while David O Brien noted in 2006 that the Louvre sketch is considered superior to the final painting.