When someone first looks at the painting, their eyes are immediately drawn to the woman bowing  in front of Napoleon. She is dressed in elegant royal attire. In front of her is Napoleon, who is crowning her as empress. Around them are the pope, dutchess  and family members, and diplomats. What is so notable is that there are so many people around them. Everyone is there to recognize how important that day is. 

I believe that the most interesting part of this painting is that not all details are true. The artist, Jacques Louis David added details to this painting as requested by Napoleon. Napoleon’s mother and older brother were not in attendance at the ceremony due to a family rift between Napoleon and his family due to his love for Josephine(McMullen). Pope Pius VI is shown seated behind Napoleon pointing as if directing the ceremony. Although, in real life he sat with his hands crossed, as Napoleon humiliated him by crowning himself. The addition of Dom Rapheal De Monachis, a Greek-Egyptian monk, was added(A Closer Look: Jacques-Louis David). Also, the pose of Napoleon was wrong. At the ceremony Napoleon held a sword as he crowned himself with his right hand. This was changed to look as Napoleon was crowning his wife Empress Josephine to make him seem more humble. These changes as directed by Napoleon show history being recorded to paint the Emperor in a better favor.

 At the time of this painting he is a powerful ruler and wants to prove to the world that he is vigorous as king. At most ceremonies, the pope crowns the king, establishing the church as more important. However, Napoleon crowns himself, showing that he is more powerful than the church. 

The colors of this painting are bright with yellows, reds, and gold. The lighting is focused on Napoleon in the center. According to The Grand Coronation Procession of Napoleon the 1st website  Light is to emphasize the significance of this moment. Light from a cathedral window illuminates those the viewer is supposed to pay attention to. Winning countless battles and trying to expand the French Empire. The Empress, Napoleon, and the Pope are highlighted. The rest of the guests are in the shade. Only to represent how important Napoleon is for all of these people to come watch. In the painting, Napoleon’s movement towards Joseline with the crown embodies his choice to marry Josephine instead of divorcing her. The setting takes place at Notre-Dame de Paris. The inside of the cathedral is grand with lavish drapes covering the walls. Colors of black and red make up this oil paint on a 20 ft by 32 ft canvas(The Coronation of Napoleon). The coronation took place on the 2nd of December in 1804, though David did not start the painting until December 21, 1805. David was picked by Napoleon to do this painting due to his beautiful perious work for the Emperor. 

Jacques-Louis David was born August 30, 1748 and died December 29,  1825. His art style used Neoclassical designs with a blend of historic painting to capture the moral climate of the French Revolution and the High Class rise to power again. After meeting Napoleon for the first time, David was able to produce a sketch that made Napoleon love his work(Jacques-Louis David). After Napoleon is able to take the French throne in 1799, David is to create lush paintings that show Napoleon is a good light. “Napoleon at the Saint-Bernard” was made in 1801. These paintings were great propaganda after the death of the rich from the French Revolution. Napoleon needed to tell the public how great of a ruler he was and that he brought victories to France(Napoleon: A Biography Through the Propaganda Paintings).

The French revolution took place from 1789-1799. This was a time of political and social unrest. According to “Story Behind the Art: The Coronation of Napoleon” The feudalism system of the society was unraveling.Those of the lowest class wanted to change the economic class system. Poor peasants paid large taxes to the rich and powerful to fund their parties. Food scarcity left millions of people hungry. Rich royalists placed France in debt with all their spending. The poor class apprised and killed the monarchy and any royalist that did not support the revolution. This power vacuum is how Napoleon was able to take power. 

I chose this painting because I traveled to Paris this summer and saw it in person. The copy in the Palace of Versailles is so large, it is breathtaking. You want to take all day looking at the details and beautiful faces. I was so impressed with the artwork that I looked into its history. I am also taking a European history class which touches on the Napoleon Empire. This painting was created during a fascinating time period in French history. So much was happening and one painting was able to capture that. I agree with most critics that believe this painting, although with some untrue factors, is a representation of Napoleon as a figure. A man who was only recognized as a military general seized power and wanted to be gold-like.