Paris Assignment

Title of work: The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Joséphine on December 2, 1804

Artist: Jacques Louis David

Date: 1807

Present location of work: Musée Du Louvre, Paris, France

               This painting is of great historical value as it depicts one of the most important moments in history, the coronation of the Emperor and Empress. The artist Jacques Louis David is one of the most influential French painters in the Neoclassical style. David was an active supporter of the French Revolution. With the fall of his close friend and top influential figure in the Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre, David was arrested. In the late 1797 David met Napoleon I and was granted a single portrait sitting. Before the French Revolution, David’s major history paintings, inspired in contemporary events, were based on subjects of ancient history and distant civilizations. This choice of subjects was keeping with that of the French Academy, which placed higher importance in historical facts and moments than those of scenes of the contemporary life. However with the Revolution, David and his contemporaries place more focus on the Revolution and its heroes. Fond of David’s work, Napoleon I named David the official court painter after the proclamation of the Empire. David subsequently increasingly worked on this new Imperial iconography, developing his Empire style, characterized by the use of warm colors.

In 1804 Napoleon commissioned this painting to portrait the magnificence of his coronation. This painting as well as others David has done of Napoleon I is a sublime piece of political propaganda. Meticulously crafted, it’s rich in details, and symbols of imperial power such as the eagle-topped scepter, the globe, and the hand of Justice. The artist of this painting was present himself at the event depicted. Napoleon I wanted this painting to carry such a great representation of the moment that David had to make changes to reality under Napoleon’s demand. Studies of sketches made at the moment and also during some pre-studies the artist made at his work shop present further details that were changed. Examples of this is the presence in the painting of people that were not there in reality such as Napoleon’s mother Letizia Bonaparte (“Madame Mère”) and his brother Joseph Bonaparte. To accommodate Napoleon’s wish, David downsized the structure of Notre-Dame Cathedral to give bigger perspective of figures. The Pope was previously presented with his hands in his lap, and later lifted with the gesture of blessing.

This great historical painting contains highly elaborated and precious garments from its time period presented with an incredible richness of details. The Napoleon period had an enormous impact in fashion. With the Revolution followed by Napoleon’s dramatic rise to power, the period between 1789 and 1815, saw an old world collapse and a new one rise from the ashes. In just a few years, skirts with paniers, heavily laden with embroidery and lace, gave space for the flowing, diaphanous tunics of the young, fashionable women. During the French Revolution feminine costume continued to evolve along the path to freedom. One of the most daring revolutionary measures was the prohibition of the boned corset as damaging to good health, dresses begun to have a more straight and fluid line. In the beginning of this period, dresses started to often display the national colors: blue, white, and red. The dresses were long with quite low-cut and the waits, which were always marked by means of ribbon, scarves, or sashes, began quickly to move up the rib cage.

Josephine Bonaparte led the way into the new path of fashion in France. To avoid shocking people’s sensibilities too much or making too definitive a break between the fashions of the Directoire (1795-1799) and those approved by the Consulat (1799-1804), Josephine chose a close-fitting dress with a high-waist bodice. Sleeves gained a surprising new popularity. After being abandoned during the Directoire, they became the final elegant touch. Dressmakers offered them in endless variety for different occasions. Women’s costume was heavily influenced by Neoclassical themes.

When the Empire was declared in 1804 it outlined once and for all the formal dress of the emperor, empress, French princes, and high dignitaries of the new Empire. It was first displayed at the coronation ceremony presented in the painting. The costumes worn at the ceremony were rich in details and charged with meaning and symbolism. The emperor’s grand costume was composed of several elements. A very ample red velvet imperial robe was speckled with gold bees which were his personal emblem, as well as mythic motifs surrounding the initial “N”. Underneath he wore a white satin tunic with gold embroidery. Josephine also wore a red velvet robe, with same decoration as Napoleon’s, on top a silver brocade dress.

The costume served as the model for the empress’s other court costume, a one-piece, straight, high-waist dress with puff sleeves, with or without a lace cherusque, over which she wore a court train. All ladies of the court wore costume of the same design as the empress’s. The costumes designed for the coronation ceremonies for the men present, set the formal costume to be worn at court. It was strongly inspired by the costume of the emperor, knee-length mantle, coat, vest, knee breeches, lace cravat, and plumed hat.

BY Jessica De Moraes