#consulat

A Douai, il y avait une petite expo sur Napoléon, avec des objets authentiques et quelques reproductions (difficile parfois de savoir !)

- missel de 1809 à couverture en nacre

-  boucles d'oreille d’après modèle - Normandie, fin Empire 

- pendule - Apollon

- miroir en bronze : base en caryatide

- pendule style Empire

- encrier d'officier d'état-major - Fin du Consulat

- bureau style Empire

Napoleon reviewing the Consular Guard (« La Revue du Quintidi », 1802). Lannes is with his back to the viewer on the right, Duroc looking over Napoleon’s shoulder and Berthier between them facing left. Caffarelli is on the far left with his sword drawn and Eugène in the bicorne next to Roustam.

In the background is the no-longer-there Palais des Tuileries (Consular Palace) inscribed with the date 10 August, 1792 (massacre of the Swiss Guards) and still showing damage to the exterior and windows from the explosion of the infernal machine (24 December, 1800).

Mezzotint print by Charles Turner after John James Masquerier, based on a drawing by Isabey. British Museum.

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Some trickery was apparently involved in its London promotion (from the curator’s notes) :

« Masquerier states that he was in Paris In December/January 1800/01 and obtained permission to paint Napoleon, making the painting the 'Only Likeness, in London, painted from the Life'. Turner responds to this with the annotation, 'False!!!!' noting as follows: 'Masquerier obtain'd the composition of this Picture by giving the Valet of Isabey the Painter a premium to let him trace His drawing of the same subject from which tracing a small picture was made here, & the large one painted from that. The head of Napoleon was from a small china bust; all the officers were copied from Prints he brought over. He never saw Buonaparte or any of his Generals. The large Picture was painted in my Room in Warren Street, & I painted all the Bridles, Saddles; & Mr H.B. Chalon the horses »