Paintings

General Bonaparte on the bridge at Arcole, 17 November, 1796 Versailles, Musée National du Château The first emblematic image of the Napoleonic myth, this painting exalts the virtues of the military leader, as embodied by the young General Bonaparte at the head of the Armée d’Italie. In reality, Arcole bridge was not crossed. But that […]

The ruins of the Tuileries Compiègne, musée du Second Empire This painting eloquently sums up the historical events of 1870 and 1871: the fall of the Second Empire, the siege of Paris and the Commune. Passing in front of the burnt out shell of Tuileries Palace which had been set fire to during the «semaine […]

The inauguration of the Suez Canal Compiègne, musée du Second Empire In November 1869, the empress Eugénie journeyed to Egypt to preside over the inauguration ceremony of the Suez Canal. As cousin of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the builder of the canal, Eugénie had supported de Lesseps all along this gigantic project, speaking on his behalf […]

The Campagne de France, 1814 Paris, Musée d’Orsay Whilst a fruitful source of inspiration for the Romantics, the Napoleonic epic was no less influential upon Academic painters. Meissonier’s work, one of the artistic highlights of the Second Empire and the Third Republic, is ample witness. Though born only a few months before Waterloo, Meissonier was […]

Napoleon on his deathbed Private collection In his youth, Horace Vernet was soaked in the Napoleonic epic and its dreams of glory, and following in the family tradition he very soon chose a career as a history painter. During the Restoration, his studio was a haven for those nostalgic for the emperor, and he too […]

La famille impériale à Chislehurst Fondation Napoléon, collection Martial Lapeyre The rise of photography was so precipitous during the Second Empire that many saw in it a rival to painting. Certain genres, such as the portrait, were indeed seriously threatened by this new medium. And whilst the imperial couple continued to commission official portraits from […]