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The Public Viewing David's "Coronation" at the Louvre

1810
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 634

Jacques Louis David’s gigantic painting of Napoleon crowning his wife as Empress Josephine was shown on three occasions at the Musée du Louvre between 1808 and 1810. These public spectacles were highly political, celebratory endorsements of Napoleon’s audacious claim to power in 1804. As represented by Boilly, visitors to the Louvre could decipher the key actors in David’s vast composition by consulting printed guidebooks, such as the one held by the military man at left. Hats are being removed, either in deference to the imperial couple or for better visibility; children make up a significant proportion of the crowd, perhaps in reference to the future of France.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Public Viewing David's "Coronation" at the Louvre
  • Artist: Louis Léopold Boilly (French, La Bassée 1761–1845 Paris)
  • Date: 1810
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 24 1/4 x 32 1/2 in. (61.6 x 82.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2012
  • Object Number: 2012.156
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

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5222. The Public Viewing David's "Coronation" at the Louvre

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Study of Three Heads, Louis Léopold Boilly French, Black and white chalk, with stumping
Study of Three Heads
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The Card Players, Louis Léopold Boilly French, Lithograph
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The Wedding Present, Louis Léopold Boilly French, Etching with stippling and engraving
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Hired Hands, Louis Léopold Boilly French, Lithograph
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The Comb Punch, Louis Léopold Boilly French, Lithograph; printed in blue, brown, black, green, yellow, and blue inks
The Comb Punch
Louis Léopold Boilly
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