Paintings

Napoleon in 1792
Henri Felix Philippoteaux

This portrait is of Napoleon near the beginning of his military career, about a year before his first brilliant victory at Toulon.

Napoleon on the Arcole Bridge
Antoine-Jean Gros

This is a picture of the Napoleon crossing the Bridge of Arcole in the Italian Campaign of his early military days. It was painted in 1796.

Bonaparte
Jacque-Louis David

This is an incomplete oil on canvas portrait of Napoleon. It was painted in 1798 and is currently in the Louvre, Paris.

Empress Josephine at Malmaison
Baron Francois Gerard

This oil painting was done in 1799, three years after Napoleon married Josephine. Josephine had two children by her previous marriage, but Napoleon later divorced her because she couldn't produce an heir.

Admiral Horatio Nelson
William Beachey

The portrait of Nelson was done in 1796, a few years before he faced Napoleon in the Mediterranean.

Napoleon at the Penthouse at Jaffa
Antoine-Jean Gros

This piece, done in 1804, depicts Napoleon with the prisoners at Jaffa. Napoleon had conquered the city in one day. A large number of prisoners died there because there wasn't enough food for them.

Bonaparte as First Consul
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

This was done in 1804, after Napoleon became First Consul of France.

Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul
Jean-Baptiste Greuze

Another portrait of Napoleon as First Consul of France.

Napoleon Crossing the St. Bernard
Jacques-Louis David

This painting by Jacque Louis David depicts Napoleon in his famous crossing of the Alps. It took two years to finish, 1800 to 1801.

Like most of David's portraits of Napoleon, this was a propaganda piece. Napoleon actually crossed the Alps on a mule because mules have better balance and traction, are lower to the ground, and do better in cold weather.

Napoleon Crossing the Alps
Paul Delaroche

This is a more accurate painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps. It was painted in 1850, about 30 years after Napoleon's death. A painting like this would have never been acceptable to Napoleon, because it doesn't glorify him.

Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 Dec 1804
Jacque-Louis David

This is a painting of Napoleon's Coronation. This large painting took two years to complete, 1806 and 1807.

This picture was meant to be a propaganda piece. It is a huge 6.21 x 9.79 m painting. Its long, detailed title was meant to immortalize that event in history. Napoleon's parents never approved of his coronation of himself as Emperor of France, so they never attended the coronation ceremony. However, since this was a propaganda piece, it needed to show that his parents approved of him being emperor so they were added to the picture. (Middle, just left of Napoleon in the throne in the back).

It was also thought that if Napoleon were portrayed as crowning himself, he would come off as full of himself so David painted Napoleon crowning his wife Josephine.

Napoleon, Emperor of France
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Another portrait of Napoleon as Emperor of France; Napoleon commissioned several portraits of himself when he was Emperor.

In Scaring Costume
Baron Francois Gerard

Yet another portrait of Napoleon as Emperor of France.

Napoleon in Scaring Costume as King of Italy (Master of Europe)
Andrew Appiani the Elder

Another portrait of Napoleon. Notice how different Napoleon looks in this one than the others.

Napoleon on the Battlefield of Eylau
Antoine-Jean Gros

This painting, of the Battle of Eylau, was done in about two years, 1807 to 1808. The painting depicts the bloody battle, which took place in what is considered the worst weather of the era.

Napoleon in His Study
Jacque-Louis David

Another oil painting done by Napoleon's favorite painter, David. This one was painted in 1812, near the end of his glorious empire.

The Battle for Moscow (The Battle of Borodino)
Jacque-Louis David

This is a picture of the Battle of Borodino in 1812. Both sides suffered heavy casualties in that battle.

Retreat Through Russia
Dave Morseque

This painting is of Napoleon's disastrous retreat from Moscow. Although the painting by Dave Morseque doesn't convey much suffering, over 500,000 men died in that retreat.

Lt. General Lord Wellington at Salamanca
Chris Collingwood

The portrait of Wellington was done on July 22, 1812, about three years before Waterloo.