Power and Authority

Shixiong Wang (Frank)







Jacques-Louis David
Napoleon in His Study
1812
204 x 125 cm
Oil on canvas
National Gallery, Washington DC

The son of an iron merchant, David took a long time to build up confidence of being an artist who was later known as the representative and founder of Neoclassicism, and a brilliant teacher whose students include Ingres. He worked for Louis XVI at the beginning. Then after the Revolution exploded in Paris in 1789. He became deeply involved into politics which led to the divorce with his wife who remained loyal to David and helped to secure his release after David was imprisoned. Shortly after, he transferred his theme of art work to Napoleon.
In this masterpiece of Jacques-Louis David, he depicted the whole scene which looks like a propaganda in the way of a maganificent life-size portrait of Napoleon whose role in David's mind is a political hero.
The painting was perfectly balanced by putting Napoleon right at the center of the paiting with an eleborate tesk and a chair by each side, and the background of his study. The slow diagonal and potential line combined by the books, pieces of paper, Napoleon's feet and chair's legs, leads audience's eyes to Napoleon's room with book shelves. Another role the line played in the painting is the crossing composition with the perpendicular lines of the edge of wall, legs of furnitures and the clock.
Napoleon's military dress is basically the uniform of the famous Imperial Guard. Napoleon's pose is a charateristic gesture with a hand tucked into his waistcoat. He wears two medals: the insignia of the Legion of Honor and the Iron Cross of Italy. Scutinising Napoleon’s stockings, it is clearly to see that the stockings are wrinkled which potentially hinted the swell of Napoleon's legs.
Taking a close look at the furnitures in his study, you can find that David invented his special French Empire style. The throne-like chair in red with initial "N" inscribed on the top, and decorated dest are the representatives of this style. A white quill is slightly put on the edge of the desk. The precariously design suggested that it has just set down. It is said that "The document on the desk at which Napoleon has been working is the Code Napoleon, the codification of law that is the basis of the French legal system today. One of his greatest achievements was to establish an efficient system of civil administration throughout continential Europe." The book under the desk is Plutarch's Lives, a great book which depicts biographies of military heroes such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. David is paralleling Napoleon's achievement with those of the great leaders of antiquity. The clock hands point thirteen minutes past four in the morning and the candles which were burned low together suggested that Napoleon has been working through out the night. Napoleon later said: "You have understood me, David. By night I work for the warfare of my subjects, and by day for their glory."


Reference: Great Artists Explained
Brief History of European Art