Napoleon Bonaparte (French, 1769-1821) rose to power through his military career during the tumultuous period following the 1789 French Revolution. Napoleon waged numerous wars to expand France’s empire including a failed attempt to retake its Caribbean colony of Saint-Domingue, now known as Haiti. His campaigns in Europe and North Africa provided a stream of subject matter for painters and printmakers.

In the decades following Napoleon’s removal from power in 1815, Napoleon’s image endured in French art and popular culture, featuring works that both celebrated and satirized his towering and ongoing presence in the French imagination. This exhibition explores images of Napoleon made after his death, revealing the ways art is intertwined with history and can be used to reinforce or challenge accepted narratives.

Generous support for bilingual text was provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.