13 - Jacques-Louis DAVID (1748–1825), from the studio of.

Jacques-Louis DAVID (1748–1825), from the studio of. Portrait of Emperor Napoleon I, in a three-quarter-length bust, in the uniform of a colonel of the Foot Grenadiers of the Guard. Oil on canvas. In a gilded wooden frame with palmette motifs. H. 76.2 x W. 63.5 cm. Frame: H. 100 x W. 81 cm. Provenance - American private collection. - French private collection. History This work is a bust-length version of the famous painting *Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries* by Jacques-Louis David. On August 3, 1811, a wealthy Scotsman, Alexander, Marquis of Douglas—who would become the tenth Duke of Hamilton in 1819—wrote a letter to David commissioning a portrait of Napoleon. “You have deigned to choose my brush to capture the features of the Great Man on canvas and to depict him in one of the events that have immortalized him,” the artist replied on September 20. The painter then created a painting that stood in stark contrast to the usual depictions of the Emperor. Eschewing ceremonial attire, David chose to portray him in the uniform of a colonel of the Foot Grenadiers of the Guard, in his study at the Tuileries Palace. Rather than a celebration of imperial power, it is an allegory of Napoleon’s civil legacy. The Civil Code resting on the desk, the burned-down candles, and the clock showing that it is past four o’clock indicate that the sovereign had worked all night on his legislative project. In a now-iconic gesture associated with Napoleon, he slips his right hand into his waistcoat. The painting was exhibited at the Castle of the Dukes of Hamilton, then sold in 1882 to Archibald Primrose (5th Earl of Rosebery). In 1954, it was acquired by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, which placed it in the National Gallery of Art in Washington. This image left a lasting impression, and several versions—particularly bust portraits—emerged, many of which were created by Jacques-Louis David’s students in his studio. So much so that some versions have cast doubt among art historians. A striking example is this bust portrait, reattributed to David by the British scholar Simon Lee, even though it had long been considered a studio version and the inscription “Rouget 1813” appears beneath the paint (see below, ill. 2). Georges Rouget was David’s favorite assistant, whom he regarded as his right-hand man. Some of these bust portraits are now housed in public collections, such as the one at the Musées de l’île d’Aix, donated by Prince and Princess Murat, or the one at the Musée des Avelines, painted by Jean-Marie Dupont-Pingenet, a student of Jacques-Louis David. Engravings, particularly the one by Noël Bertrand based on a drawing by Eugène Bourgeois and supervised by David, also played a major role in disseminating this image of the “Legislator Emperor.” Related Works - Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon I in His Study at the Tuileries, National Gallery of Art, inv. 1961.9.15 (ill. 1). - Georges Rouget or Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon I, circa 1813, American private collection (ill. 2). - 19th-century French school, after Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon I, Musées de l’île d’Aix, inv. MG.A.90; MG.90. - Jean-Marie Dupont-Pingenet, after Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon I, 1822, Musée des Avelines, Saint-Cloud, inv. 2022.1.1 (ill. 3). - 19th-century French school, after Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon I, Musée de l’Armée, inv. 7404; Ea 92.1 (ill. 4). - Bertrand Noël (engraver), Bourgeois Eugène (painter), after Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon I, 1812, Musée de l’Armée, inv. 05723; Fa 249.1 - 19th-century French school, follower of Jacques-Louis David, Napoleon I, c. 1830, 63 x 52 cm, private collection, Osenat auction, April 2, 2023, lot 208 (sold for €71,456). Literature Simon Lee, “A newly discovered portrait of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David,” The Burlington Magazine, October 2013, Vol. 155, No. 1327, pp. 687–692.