Italian school of the 19th century. - Lot 151

Italian school of the 19th century. Portrait of Bonaparte, First Consul (c. 1804). Oil on oval canvas. H. 107.5 x L. 86.5 cm. In a rectangular gilded wood frame with oval view. H. 124.5 x W. 101 cm. The official image of the First Consul This Italian-style work, reminiscent in some respects of Andrea Appiani's paintings, is part of the movement to disseminate the official image of the First Consul. Napoleon appears proud and focused against a neutral background, apparently wearing the First Consul's habit given to him by the municipality of Lyon on his first trip to the city on June 28 and 29, 1800, after Marengo. This ceremonial garment, known as "à la française", has a single row of buttons, no lapels, and is closed at the chest, unlike the daily habit of the double-breasted First Consul, with its folded-down collar. The painting is part of an evolution in the image of the Corsican general, transforming him from warrior to head of state. In this mutation, references to the battlefield and military attributes diminish in favor of a more regal image. The first to embody this transformation was Antoine-Jean Gros, who painted Bonaparte, Premier consul in 1802 (ill. 1). In this painting, the consul wears the habit of office and a sword, and is seated in a soberly decorated study. On a table covered with a blue velvet sheet, Napoleon rests his finger on a number of documents. These include a list of treaties he had signed, and three of his political victories: the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire, the Concordat and the Comices de Lyon. This portrait, which underlines his ability to govern and not just win military victories, was extremely well received by the future emperor, who commissioned three copies from Baron Gros. In a bid to spread the word, Bonaparte erected these paintings as official effigies, making them a prototype for his new image. In 1803, he commissioned the best artists of his time - Benoît, Greuze, Ingres, Lefèvre, Vien le Jeune, Meynier and Dufau - to produce copies of Gros' work and send them to various European cities. Among these works, the one by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, destined for the city of Liège, made a particular impact on Napoleonic iconography (ill. 2). Our work is the result of this proliferation of consular portraits. Bonaparte, looking to the right, is stripped of his military attributes and wears only his function. The format of our bust version doesn't even allow for the surrounding scenery, focusing solely on the First Consul's uniform. Perhaps this is why the artist chose the ceremonial dress offered by Lyon, worn by Napoleon on rare occasions such as the signing of the Concordat, rather than the official one. Here, the painter offers a portrait full of strength, in which the gaze is both hard and determined. t's interesting to note that an oil on canvas similar to ours is preserved in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, an English museum attached to the National Museums Liverpool. The work measures 56 x 48.2 cm, but is slightly smaller: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/napoleon-i-17691821-102516/search/2024--keyword:napoleon--referrer:global-search/page/2/view_as/grid Literature Romain Buclon, Napoleon and Milan: staging, reception and delegation of Napoleonic power (1796-1814). History. University of Grenoble - Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II, 2014.