CAST BY FERDINAND BARBEDIENNE FROM A MODEL BY ANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE, LATE 19TH CENTURY

The first of at least four different equestrian groups of Napoleon, and certainly the most Romantic in execution, Barye's model of the young Bonaparte dates to about 1847. Whilst the fine detailing of the saddle and costume demonstrates a high degree of realism, Barye has imbued his subject with a strong emotional intensity.

At Barye's 1876 Atelier sale, the modèle for Le Général Bonaparte was acquired by Barbedienne and subsequently edited up until the 1920s.