Lorenzo Bartolini
(Florence 1777-1850)

Napoleon Bonaparte

After a prototype by Antonio Canova
White marble
Signed 'B.F.' and ínscribed '55
Carved by the artist, ca. 1810
Height 62,3cm

Bartolini was sent by the Emperor in 1808 to Carrara, Bartolini’s own home ground, to set up a workshop for the production and dissemination of sculptural images of the Bonaparte family. Many of these busts were produced for political purposes but also for private use. The exhibition marble differs from most other recorded examples in bearing the hallmarks of its original sculptor, above all the high quality of its finish, the resonance of the master’s chisel cannot be mistaken in the vigorously sculpted hair, and the deeply carved eyes and eyelids further confirm the hand of this master carver. Napoleon’s role as head of the new empire is conveyed in the pensive tension of his furrowed brow and the slightly pursed lips, set within the highly polished and smooth surface of the flesh, creating the illusion of a powerful and almost divine figure. The power presented in this heroic portrayal of the Emperor in full maturity pays homage to the heroic portraits of the ancients with whom Napoleon constantly associated himself for the purposes of political gain.

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