The Public Viewing David’s Coronation at the Louvre 1810

Louis Léopold Boilly created this oil painting to capture a moment in French history. The work depicts a crowd of people viewing Jacques-Louis David’s monumental painting of Napoleon’s coronation, itself a kind of painted theater. But look closely at Boilly’s painting. We see a diverse group of people, their clothing and demeanor suggesting a range of social classes. Consider the context: France was still reeling from the Revolution, grappling with new social dynamics. Boilly's choice of oil paint—a traditional medium favored by the elite—contrasts with the populist subject matter. Oil paint is slow-drying, lending itself to complex techniques of layering and blending to create luminosity. This painting provides a window into a society in flux, where art became a spectacle for a broader public, and was used as propaganda to cement the power of political figures. Boilly invites us to consider the ways in which art both reflects and shapes social realities, blurring the lines between high art and the everyday experiences of its viewers.