Neoclassicism1805-1807
The Coronation of Napoleon
Jacques-Louis David
Curator's Eye
"Napoleon standing, arms raised holding the crown above the kneeling Josephine, under the gaze of Pope Pius VII and an imperial court frozen in the pomp of Notre-Dame."
A monumental staging of the imperial coronation, this painting is the manifesto of the Empire style, blending documentary realism with ideological glorification in the service of Napoleonic power.
Analysis
Painted between 1805 and 1807, "The Coronation of Napoleon" is an unprecedented work of propaganda. David, appointed "First Painter to the Emperor," was tasked with immortalizing the ceremony of December 2, 1804, at Notre-Dame de Paris. The historical context is the legitimation of a new dynasty: Napoleon, a general of the Revolution, becomes Emperor of the French. The work does not merely report facts; it reinvents them to construct the imperial myth. David abandons the austere Neoclassicism of "The Oath of the Horatii" for a more Baroque and lavish aesthetic, inspired by Rubens, to translate the splendor of the Empire.
The historical and mythological explanation of the painting rests on the transfer of sacredness. Unlike the kings of France consecrated in Reims, Napoleon crowns himself in Paris, marking his independence from the Church. However, David chooses to paint the coronation of Josephine, a gesture more graceful and less controversial than the Emperor's self-coronation. This choice transforms an act of political defiance into a gesture of protection and family piety, softening the conqueror's image while asserting his supreme authority. Pope Pius VII, reduced to the role of a blessing spectator, symbolizes the submission of the spiritual to the temporal.
Technically, the painting is a feat of crowd management and texture. David had to organize over 150 individual portraits, each treated with remarkable psychological precision. The light, coming from the left, does not just illuminate the scene; it hierarchizes the characters, placing the imperial couple in an almost divine glow. The use of carmine reds, golds, and satin whites creates a chromatic richness that saturates the space. David's touch softened compared to his revolutionary works, prioritizing the velvet of fabrics and the brilliance of jewelry to flatter the sovereign's eye.
The psychology of the work lies in the contrast between material pomp and the coldness of power relations. Every gaze, every placement is calculated to reflect the hierarchy of the new court. Napoleon is represented as a being of pure will, while Josephine, though in a position of submission, embodies the grace necessary for the regime's legitimacy. The silent unease of certain members of the Bonaparte family, reluctant to this coronation, is subtly suggested by David through tense expressions. The work functions as a mirror of human ambition, where the theater of power replaces religious fervor.
A major secret revealed by scientific analysis concerns David's many "pentimenti" (alterations). Originally, Napoleon was depicted crowning himself, but the artist judged the gesture too arrogant and modified the canvas to paint the coronation of Josephine. Traces of this first version are still visible beneath the layers of paint. Another mystery lies in the presence of "Letizia Bonaparte," the Emperor's mother, in the center of the gallery. In reality, she was absent from the ceremony as she disapproved of the coronation, but Napoleon demanded that David insert her to present an image of family unity.
David depicted himself in the upper gallery, sketching the scene, highlighting his role as historical witness and director. Recent infrared imaging analyses have shown that the columns of Notre-Dame were simplified to avoid visually cluttering the scene and to leave all space for the central action. Finally, a second version of this painting exists, painted by David during his exile in Brussels, where Josephine's bridesmaids wear slightly different colored dresses, illustrating the painter's nostalgia for this vanished period of glory.
Finally, the artist managed the monumental scale (6 meters by 9) by using specialized assistants for the architectural backgrounds, while reserving the faces and hands for his own brush. The jewels were painted with such precision that historians have been able to identify the specific diamonds from the crown jewels used that day.
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