Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne
1806 Musée de l'Armée
About this artwork
This monumental oil painting depicts Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor, seated on an ornate throne and holding the symbols of his authority. It was commissioned by the Legislative Body and is currently housed in the Musée de l'Armée at the Hôtel des Invalides, Paris.
Did you know?
When first exhibited at the 1806 Salon, this painting was severely criticized by contemporary reviewers for its rigid, almost Byzantine style, which they felt departed from the realism expected at the time. Ingres himself later came to admire the work, though it remains a polarizing example of early 19th-century state portraiture.
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Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1806
