Napoléon, Emperor of the French 1811

Alexandre Evariste Fragonard created this print, “Napoleon, Emperor of the French”, which presents us with a meticulously structured allegorical portrait. Its stark monochrome palette heightens the contrast between the textured foliage on the left, and the smooth surfaces of the neoclassical figures and plinth. The composition is rigidly divided. A bust of Napoleon sits atop a plinth inscribed with an anagram of his name, flanked by two allegorical figures. The figure on the right, perhaps representing strength, stands tall and points to Napoleon’s titles. On the left, the kneeling angel suggests divine inspiration. These meticulously rendered figures and the architectural structure of the plinth create a sense of order and permanence. However, the formal rigidity of the artwork also destabilizes the notion of fixed power. The anagram itself is a rearrangement of letters, suggesting that meaning can be manipulated. The allegorical figures, while seemingly solid, are ethereal beings, not grounded in reality. By combining the rigid structure of neoclassical form with the fluidity of allegory, Fragonard complicates and questions the nature of Napoleon’s authority. This play between structure and instability is a recurring theme in art and philosophy.