France Napoleonic Art

[Bear]

Framed

[Nick]

Which portraits historically are accurate representations of Napoleon ? Stendhal (biographer) thought that the bust by Chaudet and the painting by Robert Lefevre the best and David and Canova the worst.

[Naxos]

Not quite on the topic but a very interesting article from The Times August 22, 2007

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol...icle2302967.ece

Hardy

Edited November 15, 2008 by Naxos

[Bear]

hello,

Ken has a bust by Chaudet on his website.

http://www.frenchempirecollection.com/Objects_04.html

thanks,

barry

[Nick]

Thats the bust which Stendhal felt was the truest likeness of Napoleon. He served under Napoleon in Russia as part of his administration.

[peter monahan]

Nick

A short story in the Toronto (Ontario, Canada) this week about a Montreal man who died 5 days before the opening of a show at the Montreal Museum of Art which showcased an apparently major collection of Napoleonic items, including locks of his (N's) hair. Apparently tyhe man collected for decades and donated the stuff to the museum recently. Sorry I haven't more details but I'll tryo to look some out at work and post again tomorrow if I can.

Peter

[ColinRF]

Here is a portrait of Michel Ney I purchased some years ago. Its unsigned but is attributed to Ezra Ames of Albany, New York. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Ames for more on the artist.

Ames was the premier portrait painter in NY state in the late 18th and early 19th C. This portrait of Ney was based on the Gerard portrait owned by Citizen Genet. Its now in the Albany Institute of History and Art, with many of Ames' works - he was a founder of this museum.

This copy was most likely executed in the 1809-1812 period.

Colin

Edited March 20, 2009 by ColinRF

[ColinRF]

Here's the AIHA's Gerard - its nicer than mine but I like mine anyway.

Colin

[ColinRF]

That would be Ben Wieder's magnificent Napoleonic collection which he donated to the Montreal museum. The institutions built a whole gallery for the collection. My wife and i will be heading up there for a view this spring. Wieder was a millionaire seller of excercise equipment and co-author of "The Murder of Napoleon" and "Assassination at St. Helena."

http://www.mmfa.qc.ca/en/expositions/exposition_134.html

Colin

Edited March 20, 2009 by ColinRF

[Bear]

Very Nice! What are the measurements?

thanks,

barry

[ColinRF]

Very Nice! What are the measurements?

thanks,

barry

Hi Barry - standard portrait size c. 2.5' X 3'

Colin

Edited March 25, 2009 by ColinRF

[eitze]

Both are very nice

Thank you for showing.

greetings

eitze

[ColinRF]

Water colour and guache (?) portrait of Napoleon on an ivory chip. Not museum quality but a lot nicer than many I've seen. At least the uniform is OK although some of the decorations are dodgy.

Colin

[ColinRF]

This should be in the models string but I put it here so it is seen by Bear, who I know has a special interest in Marshal Lannes. Sculpted in plumber's putty and painted in oils. Figure is about 8" tall.

Colin

Edited April 12, 2009 by ColinRF

[Bear]

Thanks Colin! That is a nice one of Lannes with his patent sideburns/chops.

barry

[Bear]

Hello,

French Dragoon Lt. d'Avuglione (1779 Turin - 1855)

The portrait was painted in Italy in 1800 around the time of the Battle of Marengo.

thanks,

barry

Edited January 3, 2010 by Bear

[Naxos]

Bear, What a great, named portrait - love the vivid colors!

[Tony]

200 years old and fantastic condition.

Where did you find it, the US, Canada, Europe or elsewhere?

Tony

[Bear]

Thanks!

This one came from Austria but some of my favorites have been found in the United States, which seems odd.

thanks again,

barry

[Bear]

reverse

[Bear]

Hello,

This is a watercolor showing Napoleon being shaved of all his success and dated 1814.

Archduke Charles of Austria(right)

Alexander I of Russia(left)

I'm not sure who is doing the shaving, maybe Bernadotte.

thanks,

barry

[Guest Rick Research]

That's an original "one off," not a tinted commercial print?

[Bear]

Hello Rick,

Its a watercolor but I'm not sure if its original or a copy of the print.

Here is the online collection of Napoleonic Satires at Brown.

Not allowed to copy images

two versions

Die neue europaeische Barbierstube

http://dl.lib.brown.edu/repository2/repoman.php?verb=render&id=1132589802465345

&

http://dl.lib.brown.edu/repository2/repoman.php?verb=render&id=1130851943266029

thanks,

barry

[Mike Dwyer]

Barry,

Just a curiousity question....when I was a teenager I was a Napoleonic Wars uniform nut! I collected books, did my own crude uniform drawings, painted miniatures, etc. I haven't done that in many, many years. In Imperial times French dragoons wore dark green coats. I see this fellow is wearing a blue coat, is this correct for the time period of the painting? I don't know much about earlier French uniforms.

[Bear]

Hello Mike,

I thought that too, and I hoped that age had just darkened the uniform color. His uniform seems to be one worn by a grenadier. I know that during this time many who were not grenadiers wore the grenadier uniform because of availability.

thanks,

barry