Anthony Morelli Classical Blog


Neoclassical Blog: Napoleon Crossing the Alps


Introduction
    One of the most famous examples of neoclassical painting, Napoleon Crossing the Alps a series of 5 paintings by Jacques-Louis David from 1801-1805. The paintings were originally commissioned by Napoleon himself to depict his crossing of the Alps in 1800 to reinforce his troops in Italy. When he commissioned the paintings Napoleon asked to portray himself "calm, mounted on a fiery steed" leading to the paintings we see today.

Analysis
    The five paintings in the series are mostly the same, but, there are slight color differences (especially the color of the horse) and quality, however, all paintings have the same telltale qualities that make the series neoclassical. This painting clearly exemplifies the principle of heroic patriotic self-sacrifice as it shows the soldiers in the background marching to Napoleon's command. Another neoclassical principle at play here is heroism, Napoleon is clearly displayed in the light and is physically above everyone else in the painting, clearly making him the hero in this case.
References

Comments

  1. SallieMarch 12, 2024 at 3:59 PM

    Hello Anthony. I have always see this painting in images and history book before and the first thought I always had was how "calm" this man looks with his horse tipping over back. It is a little hard to compare without having two other art pieces in this blog. I can get that this theme is on "Revolution and Art", which is shown on the painting. I'm also glad that you talked about the soldiers in the background because I didn't notice them at first until I read your analysis.

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  2. Chris Kloeber's ART F200x blogMarch 13, 2024 at 5:24 PM

    The painting of Jacques-Louis David Napoleon Crossing the Alps or Bonaparte at the St Bernard Pass was painted in oil on canvas and measures 261x221 cm. It is currently housed at Chateau de Malmaison, Rueil-Malmaison. It is a striking equestrian portrait of Bonaparte.

    https://smarthistory.org/jacques-louis-david-napoleon-crossing-the-alps/

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  3. Rodric LaxinaMarch 18, 2024 at 7:53 PM

    Hello Anthony, I've been interested in learning more about neoclassical art, and "Napoleon Crossing the Alps" is such an interesting example of the genre. It's fascinating to learn about the background of these paintings and how they came to be commissioned by Napoleon himself. Your thoughts of the series highlighting the neoclassical principles of heroic patriotic self-sacrifice and heroism is really well thought of. I appreciate how you pointed out the subtle differences in color and quality among the paintings while emphasizing their shared neoclassical characteristics.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kelsey BrownApril 9, 2024 at 6:46 PM

    I’ve seen this painting in a lot of movies before and I personally don’t really like it but I can still appreciate it. I don’t really get the theme of the painting but once I read about it, it all made sense.

    ReplyDelete

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