Comte de Rémusat, First Chamberlain to Napoleon and Préfect of the Palace 1805 - 1824

Editor: Here we have Jacques-Louis David's drawing of Comte de Rémusat. It looks like pencil on paper. I'm struck by the grid and how David used it to construct the figure. What do you see in this work? Curator: The materiality of this sketch illuminates David's process. Notice the visible grid – a tool for controlling the image, ensuring proportion and accuracy. But also consider the social context: David, a supporter of the Revolution, later serving Napoleon. How does this labor, this act of sketching a courtier, reflect the shifting power dynamics and David's own navigation within them? Editor: So, the grid is a tool, but also a signifier of control in a changing political landscape. Curator: Precisely. The very act of rendering the Comte, within this structured framework, highlights the complex relationship between artist, subject, and the prevailing social order. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure!