The Coronation of Napoleon
Napoleon issued an oral commission to Jacques-Louis David in September 1804. The official painter of the French Emperor began work on the 21st of December 1805. He set up his workshop inside the former chapel of the College of Cluny near the Sorbonne. His student Georges Rouget assisted him throughout the process. David applied final touches to the canvas in January 1808. The oil painting measures almost ten meters wide and over six meters tall.
The Salon of 1808 displayed the finished work from February 7 to the 22nd of March 1808 at the Louvre. It later entered the decennial prize competition held during the Salon of 1810. David retained ownership until 1819 when the Royal Museums took possession. Storage reserves kept the piece hidden for nearly two decades before 1837. King Louis-Philippe ordered its installation in the Chamber Sacre of Versailles Palace. The Louvre received the painting again in 1889 after it left Versailles.
A vertical axis passes through a cross that sits above the altar. A diagonal line connects Pope Pius VII to Empress Josephine. Every eye in the crowd turns toward Napoleon as the central figure. Three figures stand in profile on steps leading up to the altar. The Emblem of the Holy See hangs above attendants on the left side. La Pietà de Notre-Dame de Paris appears partially visible at the rightmost edge of the canvas. Neoclassical rules govern this geometric arrangement of human forms.
Napoleon I stands wearing coronation robes similar to those worn by Roman emperors. Joséphine de Beauharnais kneels in a submissive position required by the French Civil Code. She receives the crown from her husband rather than from the Pope. Maria Letizia Ramolino occupies a place more important than the Pope within the composition. Her son Lucien and brother Joseph had caused friction during the actual ceremony. Charles-Francois Lebrun holds the scepter while Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès takes the hand of justice. Louis-Alexandre Berthier keeps the globe surmounted by a cross nearby.
Original sketches showed the Pope with his hands crossed in his lap before changes occurred. Napoleon instructed that the painting should depict him anointing the proceedings instead. He claimed the Pope was not present to do nothing if he remained passive. David placed Napoleon's mother in the stands as a protest against family tensions. The painter originally depicted Napoleon holding the crown above his own head. An outline of this self-crowning attempt remains visible on the final canvas. Napoleon expressed gratitude for conveying tribute paid to affection toward a woman sharing his burden.
American entrepreneurs commissioned a full-size replica from David in 1808 immediately after the original release. He began work that year but painted it entirely from memory. Completion did not occur until 1822 during his exile in Brussels. The replica eventually returned to France in 1947. It now occupies the same place in the Palace of Versailles as the original does. In the replica version, the dress of Napoleon's favorite sister appears pink. This color change represents the only alteration made despite the painting being done from memory.
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Common questions
When did Napoleon issue the oral commission to Jacques-Louis David for The Coronation of Napoleon?
Napoleon issued an oral commission to Jacques-Louis David in September 1804. The official painter of the French Emperor began work on the 21st of December 1805.
Where was The Coronation of Napoleon displayed during the Salon of 1808?
The Salon of 1808 displayed the finished work from February 7 to the 22nd of March 1808 at the Louvre. It later entered the decennial prize competition held during the Salon of 1810.
Who is depicted kneeling in a submissive position required by the French Civil Code in The Coronation of Napoleon?
Joséphine de Beauharnais kneels in a submissive position required by the French Civil Code. She receives the crown from her husband rather than from Pope Pius VII.
Why does The Coronation of Napoleon show Napoleon holding the crown above his own head?
David placed Napoleon's mother in the stands as a protest against family tensions. An outline of this self-crowning attempt remains visible on the final canvas because Napoleon instructed that the painting should depict him anointing the proceedings instead.
When did American entrepreneurs commission a full-size replica of The Coronation of Napoleon?
American entrepreneurs commissioned a full-size replica from David in 1808 immediately after the original release. Completion did not occur until 1822 during his exile in Brussels.