Portrait of the Emperor Napoleon I, bust length, wearing the uniform of the Grenadiers de la garde à pied

Lefèvre was one of the most sought after and prolific of portrait painters during the Empire. He was commissioned by the Emperor himself on numerous occasions to paint his official portraits as well as other members of the Imperial family. Several versions of the present portrait exist by Lefèvre's own hand, in which the emperor wears the uniform of a Colonel of the Grenadiers de la garde à pied (for example that in the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, inv. no. 4424). The present picture would seem to be a good studio version. The artist also painted a full length portrait of Napoleon in the same uniform (Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, inv. no. 4222).