Napoleon

The present figure closely relates to two iconic portraits in marble by Pierre Cartellier (1757-1831) and later by Claude Ramey (1754-1838), illustrated in G. Hubert and G. Ledoux-Lebard, Napoleon: Portraits contemporains, Paris, 1999, p.161, pl. 119 and p.169, pl. 126. Like Cartellier’s Napoleon, the emperor is represented as a symbol of Justice with his right hand grasping a rolled scroll or septre and laurel. The coronation attributes, such as the legion d’honneur cross centering the fur collar, the free-flowing drapery and bee-adorned tunic revealing a fringed border present undeniable similarities, particularly with Cartellier's rendition.