Napoleon Crossing the Alps at the Saint-Bernard Pass;

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Title	Napoleon Crossing the Alps at the Saint-Bernard Pass;
File Name	civ metadata CID; Civ Archive 044 correct picture; 99100556.jpg
Copyright Status/Owner	Public Domain, reviewed CJ 9/25/06
Publisher Original	Harcourt and Brace
Rights (Patron Usage Instructions)	http://www.lib.byu.edu/genericnote_copyright.html
Course	HUM 202
Lecture Number	15
Professor	Green, Jon D., 1940-
Description	Jacques-Louis David was the most renowned French artist of the late 18th-century, and his artistic talents enabled him to become the leading painter and propagandist for both the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire. After a trip to study in Rome in 1775, David combined classical elements with Enlightenment ideals to create a distinctive style that set the standard for Neoclassicism in France. After his political imprisonment from 1794-1795, David rose to became First Painter of the Empire for the government of the newly empowered Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). Understanding the power of visual propaganda, Napoleon commissioned numerous paintings that glorified his military exploits. This particularly work, however, was commissioned by King Charles IV of Spain who wanted it for his gallery containing portraits of great military leaders, and Napoleon ordered copies for himself. The image alludes to Napoleon’s celebrated victory at the Battle of Marengo 14 June 1800. During the campaign, Napoleon had directed his troops through the treacherous Great Saint Bernard Pass, which had only twice before been successfully traversed by invading military forces: 1) by the Carthaginian general Hannibal in 218 BCE; and 2) by the Frankish king Charlemagne in 773 CE. To link himself to these historic leaders, Napoleon instructed David to inscribe his own name along with “Hannibal” and “Charlemagne” on the rocks in the foreground. Despite the fact that Napoleon actually crossed the Alps on a mule, he is presented here heroically balanced on a powerful, rearing horse, a popular motif found in earlier portraits of great European rulers. His effortless domination of the steed, with only one hand, symbolizes his ability to control the French nation. Although he painted in his characteristic Neoclassical style, David also blends elements from Romanticism, such as the strong diagonal lines and swirling sky, to accentuate Napoleon’s supremacy. ; The Battle of Marengo was an important turning point in the War of the Second Coalition, in which French troops led by Napoleon Bonaparte crushed an Austrian Army. After the successful coup d'état of 18–19 Brumaire (Nov. 9–10, 1799), which resulted in his becoming first consul of the French Republic, Napoleon redirected his efforts to conquering Italy. He led his men through several Alpine passes, including the perilous Great Saint Bernard Pass located on the Swiss-Italian border, to fight the Austrians occupying northern Italy. On 14 June 1800, an Austrian army of approximately 31,000 men and 100 guns attacked the French on the Marengo plain, north of Genoa. With an army of only about 18,000 troops and 14 guns, the French were forced to retreat, only to later win the battle after receiving some 10,000 reinforcements. This key encounter, along with other French victories on the battlefield, ultimately led to Austrian capitulation with the Treaty of Lunéville on 9 February 1801, and secured Napoleon’s authority in Paris.
Creator	David, Jacques-Louis, 1748-1825
Country	France
Geographic Region	Europe
Type	Slide
Platform	Cross-Platform
File Size	1220.295 KB
Genre	Paintings
Category	Art
Keywords	David, Jacques-Louis; Napoleon Crossing the Alps; Neoclassicism; Napoleon Bonaparte; Battle of Marengo;
Time Period	Neoclassical Period
Date Range	1780 CE: 1830 CE
Date Original	1801 AD
Date Digital	2005-03-29
Metadata Entry Date	2009-08-11
Quality	High
Contributors	Brigham Young University
Edition	Electronic reproduction;
Format	JPEG
Owning Institution	National du Château de Versailles, Versailles, France
Physical Description	8’11"" x 7’11""
Publisher Digital	Brigham Young University
Source	Lawrence Cunningham & John Reich, Culture and values: a survey of the Western humanities, 4th ed. (Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998), 402; Fred S. Kleiner and Christin J. Mamiya, Gardner's Art Through the Ages, 12th ed., vol 2 (Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005), 817; Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 2003, “Marengo, Battle of”; Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006 Online ed., s.v. ""Marengo, Battle of”, available from Internet <http://search.eb.com.erl.lib.byu.edu/eb/article-9050838>, accessed 9 April 2007; Petra ten-Doesschate Chu, Nineteenth-Century European Art 2nd ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006),119-120.
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