Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) Napoleon in His Study Samuel H. Kress Collection

Remarkably free from the allegorical pomposity of most official portraits, this picture presents Napoleon I with reserved dignity. The emperor himself approved it and, upon its completion in 1812, complimented David. Dressed in his favorite costume, the uniform of the chasseur de la garde with a general’s epaulettes, Napoleon wears the Legion of Honor and the Order of the Iron Cross, which commemorates his earlier coronation as king of Italy. He seems to have just risen from his desk, on which lies the Code Napoléon, the codification of French law which he promulgated.

David’s style is at its best in portraiture. Combining realism with a classicist’s respect for human dignity, he shows Napoleon in a characteristic pose but with an air of grandeur. David’s assured touch gives authority to the work by its incisive, strong handling of details. The composition is severely rectilinear; framing the figure, vertical lines descend through the pilaster and table leg at the left and, again, from the clock through Napoleon’s arm and the leg of the chair. Against these, horizontal lines, marked by the book shelves, wall molding, and desk, lend compositional stability. The diagonal lines of the chair are countered by the diagonal arrangement of the map and book on the floor. Before this orderly grid of lines Napoleon’s figure appears subtly animated.

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Canvas. 80¼ × 49¼ inches Dated 1812

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