Portraits

Description

• Idealised, heroic, in large ornate costume, bears down on viewer, frigid
• Stiff appearance, head detached- Ingres never saw Napoleon, attempt to gain patronage

Symbolism

• Idealised face modelled on Alexander, holds Hand of Justice - emporer Charlemange and sceptre of Charles V - links to past rulers
• Bee symbol - industrious, links to mythical Childeric
• Eagle symbol of Roman authority, lightening bolts refer to Zeus

Influences

• Medieval flatness, lack of tonal modelling, detail - Troubador style of Middle Ages
• Ghent Altarpiece and the figure of God
• Gothic in lack of spatial recession and detail

Context

• David court painter - image Napoleon wanted to present of himself
• Commissioned by Alexander Hamilton - Scots nobleman who supported regime
• Good likeness but 'nobody wants to know whether the painting looks like they are depicting, it's enough to know their genius lives on in it

Symbolism

• 'By night I work for the welfare of the people and by day their glory' - clock at 4.10, stockings wrinkled, candle brunt out
• Code Napoleon on desk (political), wears military uniform (active), colonel of Imperial Guard, medals- Order of the Iron Crown and Legion of Honour, sword by chair
• Bee - hard work, also upturned fleur de lys
• Plutarch's Lives - past great leaders, winged head of Mercury, eagle and lion Egyptian table decoration
• Stance based on 'Weary Hercules' in Louvre - past heroes

Function

• Napoleon summoned him to make propoganda- power, wanted to be in military unifrom
• Canova's amibigous views on Napoleon (looting of statues) so subverts
• Nude timless and outlasts propoganda

Classical

• As Roman god of war - idealised nude physique, iconography of Augustus
• Marble- purity and timelessness, generalised - Theory of Forms, Winckelman 'noble simplicity'
• Active military leader, links to Roman Empire

Response

• 1811 given to Napoleon- embarrased by nudity, 'too athletic', hid in Louvre
• Defended by Neo-classical critics e.g. David, De Quincy