Napoleon commissioned Jacques-Louis David to paint this huge painting, officially titled Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804. The painting depicts the splendor of the emperor’s coronation. Although David's first sketch represented Napoleon in the act of crowning himself, the final painting shows Napoleon crowning his beloved wife, Josephine—a more modest way to depict the emperor's power and authority. This enormous canvas records a turning point in French history; after the Revolution and collapse of the absolute monarchy, France had a new ruler—the Emperor Napoleon I.
The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon I and the Crowning of the Empress Joséphine
oil on canvas • 6,21 x 9.79 m
-
Jacques-Louis David