Allegorie op Napoleon I Bonaparte 1795 - 1802

Victor Marie Picot created this print called "Allegorie op Napoleon I Bonaparte," sometime around the late 1700s or early 1800s. It depicts a celestial scene with allegorical figures surrounding a portrait of the famous French general. The image operates through visual codes that would have been readily understood at the time. We see Napoleon, held aloft by cherubs, being heralded by winged figures. These figures seem to be announcing his arrival with trumpets and flags. In the lower portion of the image, we see a bound figure that seems to represent the forces being subdued by Napoleon. France at this time was undergoing major social upheaval. The French Revolution had just ended and new political institutions were still being formed. Napoleon rose to power in this environment, eventually becoming emperor. Understanding this image requires that we research the political climate of post-revolutionary France and the ways in which Napoleon sought to legitimize his rule through imagery that drew on classical and religious tropes. Considering these elements, it becomes clear that the meaning of art is contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was made.