When the name “Napoleon Bonaparte” is mentioned, the visual that immediately pops into minds is one of the former Emperor sitting on a horse, braving the stormy weather, and gesturing his hands forward to symbolize the inevitability and greatness of his conquests. This iconic image was intended by design to become indelibly linked with Napoleon Bonaparte’s accomplishments in life. The painting being alluded to is the famous, Napoleon Crossing the Alps. This picture not only embodies the allure Napoleon himself wanted to convey, but it reflects the spirit and mood of artists in that period too. This portrait was painted by the man often credited for being the most influential French painter during the neoclassical art movement, Jacques-Louis David. David personified the profound shift in societal values through his style of art: From the pre-French Revolution days of Rococo art that espoused frivolity, excess, and wealth toward more romantic, more classical, and moral-driven style of painting.
Jacques-Louis David’s story begins in ways that appear to contradict the facts of his life: he was born into a wealthy family in Paris, he initially studied under François Boucher who was among the most prominent Rococo painters of his day, and David was described as particularly reserved, if not aloof, as a student. However, when the political rumblings of the French Revolution began to create disenchantment with the status quo of the monarchy, so too was there an increased backlash against the rococo style of paintings. David was among those who picked up on this trend early on, and became in many ways the face of the neoclassical art movement. This neoclassical style of painting was defined by its use of color, vivid personalities, and being morally didactic. The morality aspects of neoclassicism sought to imitate, in particular, the glories and virtues of classical Rome and Greek civilizations. Jacques-Louis David was highly influenced with the classical art during his stay in Italy like many other artists and those classical sources had been the subject themes of David’s neoclassical piantings.
In 1784, Jacques-Louis David painted his first and more famous pieces that launched him into superstardom: The Oath of the Horatii. The painting features three members of the Roman Horatii family expressing their solidarity and loyalty to the Roman state before heading into battle. The Oath of the Horatii is regarded as the first painting with clearest features of neoclassical painting. His later work The Oath of The Tennis Court also displays men uniting in the service of a patriotic ideal just like The Oath of the Horatii. These sorts of ideals reflected the morals of the classical Roman society: self-sacrifice, masculinity, patriotism, and loyalty to the state. With the French Revolution, the master of neoclassicism, David became popular with those in charge of the institutions of the “new” France, because these were the virtues they sought to concretize. Jacques-Louis David became an active supporter of Robespierre and the Revolution to such an extent that critics often characterize him as the ‘Propaganda Minister.’ His painting The Death of Marat, for example, pictures a French political theorist assassinated in order to elevate the ideals of the Revolution which he viewed were being suppressed by the enemies of freedom. The Death of Marat is among his most famous French revolution paintings. In addition to painting him, he also organized a funeral ceromony after death of Marat, just like several festivals he organized as a real propaganda minister, such as Festival of the Supreme Being after Marie Antoinette and some aristocrats went to guillotine and many other propaganda events. David also painted Death of Bara. Death of Bara, a thirteen year old voluntary republican soldier was also a good propaganda opportunity for David and Robespierre.
The Oath of The Horatii
However, his close association with the administration damaged him when the “Reign of Terror” was put to a stop, and he was arrested. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte seized power and David gravitated to the grandeur and classical features of his Empire. With Napolepon’s reign, Jacques-Louis David had been the painter of the Emperor and painted his triumphs. His works such as Napoleon Crossing the Alps and The Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine carried similar themes of virtue and grandeur that his Revolution period pieces had. Similar symmetry and detail were evident in these. Actually Napoleon himself had to place the crown on his own head. However, painting the scene in this way would not be proper. The painting of The Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine displays Napoleon placing the crown on Josephine’s head and the Pope blessing Josephine.
Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine
With the fall of Napoleon in 1815 and the restoration of the monarchy, the timelessness of the themes he sought to celebrate in his painting became antiquated. The significance in them became meaningless. Going into self-imposed exile, he finished his final work before his death in 1825: Mars Being Disarmed by Venus. The use of classical mythology becomes more surrealistic to his other works. In the painting, Mars- the god of war- allows himself to be seduced by Venus. This may be a commentary on the naïveté he displayed by being seduced by false ideals.