“The site, marked by a commemorative stone, is only three metres high. But these three metres are enough to still make out, even without a telescope, the Wagram clocktower.” These are the words of Pierre Charrier (author of the book Le Maréchal Davout) following a visit to the site in 2000. There he looked out at the village of Wagram and its clocktower, just as Napoleon does in the painting.
This work belongs to the “mécanique” art movement that was very popular under Louis XVI and the clocktower features a small, mounted watch, the mechanism of which is hidden behind the canvas to preserve the painting's 'illusion'.
The Wagram clocktower
Artist(s) : Anonymous
- Date :
- 19th century
- Technique :
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions :
- H = 59.5 cm, L = 72.5 cm
- Place held :
- Ile d'Aix, musées de l'île d'Aix
- Photo credit :
- R.M.N.