Napoleon Crowning Josephine; verso: Napoleon Raising the Crown in His Right Hand and Holding His Sword with His Left Hand 1805 - 1824

Curator: Here we have Jacques-Louis David's "Napoleon Crowning Josephine; verso: Napoleon Raising the Crown in His Right Hand and Holding His Sword with His Left Hand." Editor: It's so sparse, yet regal. The grid in the background gives it the feeling of a blueprint for power. Curator: Precisely! David captures Napoleon in graphite, a preliminary sketch perhaps, revealing his intention to seize authority, both temporal and, dare I say, divine. The crown in his hand is the symbol of that ambition. Editor: And the shadowy figure on the left page? Is that Josephine, waiting to be crowned, or a ghost of republics past? Curator: A brilliant observation. Symbols of power are never straightforward. I believe it's Josephine, though her obscured form suggests a future yet unwritten, and perhaps a role diminished by Napoleon's ambition. Editor: It makes you wonder about the weight of ambition, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed, a potent image even in its unfinished form.