1807 1837

Editor: Here we have Auguste Raffet’s "1807", made around the same time. It's this striking image of Napoleon on horseback, and I’m immediately drawn to the somewhat melancholic mood, despite the military context. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Ah, Raffet! He had a real knack for capturing the human element amidst the grand spectacle of war. The soft, almost dreamlike quality you sense perhaps comes from his lithographic technique – it mutes the bombast, doesn’t it? Instead of a triumphant leader, we see a more contemplative figure, maybe even burdened. It makes you wonder what 1807 meant to Napoleon personally. Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t considered it from Napoleon's perspective. Curator: And isn't that the joy of art? It becomes a mirror, reflecting our own thoughts and feelings back at us. Editor: Definitely something to ponder. Thanks!