Bonaparte at the pont d'Arcole
Encyclopedia
Bonaparte at the Pont d’Arcole is a 1796 painting by Antoine-Jean Gros
, showing an episode during the battle of the pont d'Arcole
, with general Bonaparte
leading his troops to storm the bridge.
in 1871, who eight years later gave it to the Louvre
(now inventory number RF271). It passed to the château de Compiègne
in 1901, then finally the château de Versailles in 1938, (n° d'inventaire MV 6314).
Antoine-Jean Gros
Baron Antoine-Jean Gros , also known as Jean-Antoine Gros, was both a French History and neoclassical painter.-Early life and training:...
, showing an episode during the battle of the pont d'Arcole
Battle of the Bridge of Arcole
The Battle of Arcole, or Battle of Arcola saw a bold manœuvre by Napoleon Bonaparte's French Army of Italy to outflank the Austrian army under József Alvinczi and cut its line of retreat...
, with general Bonaparte
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
leading his troops to storm the bridge.
Description
The painting presents a three-quarter-length image of Bonaparte, holding the flagstaff of the armée d'Italie in his left hand and his sword in his right - on its blade is the inscription Bonaparte, Armée d'Italie. He is dressed in the dark blue trousers and tunic of a general of the Republic, with a gold-embroidered red collar. Beneath them he wears a white shirt and a black neckscarf. He also wears a gold-fringed tricolor cummerbund and a square-buckled belt bearing his empty scabbard. The background suggests the smoke of battle, with a few houses in the distance on the left. The land bordering the river is painted in dark tones, with a smoking cannonball still visible.History
Painted in Naples in 1796, the painting passed through the collections of Napoleon himself and of Napoleon III before being sequestered in 1870. It was then reacquired by Napoleon III's wife Eugénie de MontijoEugénie de Montijo
Doña María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox-Portocarrero de Guzmán y Kirkpatrick, 16th Countess of Teba and 15th Marquise of Ardales; 5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo , was the last Empress consort of the French from 1853 to 1871 as the wife of Napoleon III, Emperor of...
in 1871, who eight years later gave it to the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
(now inventory number RF271). It passed to the château de Compiègne
Château de Compiègne
The Castle of Compiègne is a French château, a royal residence built for Louis XV and restored by Napoleon. Compiègne was one of three seats of royal government, the others being Versailles and Fontainebleau...
in 1901, then finally the château de Versailles in 1938, (n° d'inventaire MV 6314).
Related works
- Sketch at the musée du Louvre, it was approved by Bonaparte as the basis for the final painting
- Other versions at :
- ArenenbergArenenbergArenenberg is an estate with a small chateau, Schloss Arenenberg, in the municipality of Salenstein at the shore of Lake Constance in Thurgau, Switzerland that is famous as the final domicile of Hortense de Beauharnais. Today it houses the Napoleonmuseum...
, (Switzerland, canton of Thurgovie), musée Napoléon. - Saint PetersburgSaint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Hermitage MuseumHermitage MuseumThe State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display,...
- Arenenberg