Robert LEFÈVRE (1755-1830), suiveur de.

Bust portrait of Napoleon I in coronation costume. Oil on canvas. H. 65 x L. 54 cm. In a gilded wood frame. History A former pupil of the painter Regnault, Robert Lefèvre had earned a reputation as a portraitist through the Salons where he exhibited as early as 1791. At the time, he was particularly appreciated by his contemporaries for the resemblance he gave to his models and the precision of the details and decorations in his works. Thanks to the protection of Denon, then director of the Beaux-Arts and Musée du Louvre, Robert Lefèvre became one of the main suppliers to the Emperor's household, executing over forty large-scale portraits of the Emperor in full coronation costume or uniform, as well as of the Empress. These commissions were destined for the Grand Corps de l'Etat and imperial palaces in France and abroad. The painter also supplied the Grand Chamberlain's gift department with numerous miniatures of the Emperor, to decorate snuffboxes and watches given as diplomatic gifts. The uneven quality of some replicas could be criticized, notably for the somewhat frozen appearance of the model, a fault that can be explained by the enormous output of the painter's studio; but it should be noted that all official portraits were intended by the painter himself. Nevertheless, Robert Lefèvre remained highly regarded by the Emperor, who is said to have appreciated the resemblance of his portraits and, no doubt, the absence of tedious breaks. On the strength of this favor, the artist worked extensively for the imperial family, in particular Princess Pauline, Lucien and the Clary family, and of course Madame Mère, who commissioned several large-scale portraits from him. Our bust portrait of the Emperor shows him in coronation regalia, wearing his red coat with golden bees and the large collar of the Légion d'Honneur on his ermine. This could be a study of the modelo used in Robert Lefèvre's workshop to produce the numerous replicas commissioned by the French state. Among the many commissions made to the artist, it is difficult to distinguish in the archives between portraits of the Emperor in coronation costume and those in uniform. However, it seems that 18 versions in imperial garb were produced, notably for Letizia and Joseph Bonaparte. At least one replica, without the gold laurel wreath, was made for Marshal Soult. Like the uniformed versions, a bust portrait was painted by the artist to serve as a model for the replicas, or presented to the studio's students for copying practice. Related works - Napoleon in coronation costume. 1806. Salon of 1806. The artist's first commission for the Salle de réunion du Sénat (location unknown). - Napoleon in coronation costume (uncrowned). 1807. Château de Soultberg, family of Marshal Soult. - Napoleon in coronation costume. 1807. Provenance Madame mère, then by descent Bathilde Bonaparte, comtesse de Cambacérès, Musée de la Légion d'Honneur. - Napoleon in coronation costume. 1808. Presumed to have come from Joseph Bonaparte, now at the Maison d'éducation de la Légion d'Honneur in Saint-Denis. - Napoleon in coronation costume. 1809. Commissioned for the Château de Fontainebleau, Mme Tussaud's collection, now defunct. - Napoleon in coronation costume. 1809. Purchased in 1949 by the Musée de la Légion d'Honneur. - Napoleon in coronation costume. 1811. Musée de Versailles, MV 5134. Commissioned by the Corps législatif, for the Palais Bourbon, in 1811; Salon of 1812, no. 779 (ill. 1). - Napoleon in coronation costume. 1813. Sotheby's London sale, July 9, 2015, lot 105, copy of Madame Mère, Sir Steward collection in 1816. Literature J.-P. Samoyault (art.), Le portrait de Napoléon par Robert Lefèvre, in "Un Palais pour l'Empereur, Napoléon à Fontainebleau", ed. by Jean Vittet. Exhibition September 2021 - January 2022.