Napoleon Crowning Josephine (recto and verso) 1805 - 1824

Editor: This is Jacques-Louis David’s double-sided sketch, "Napoleon Crowning Josephine." It looks like a preliminary drawing. What strikes me is how stark and almost unfinished it feels. What symbols or meanings emerge for you when you look at this? Curator: The act of crowning itself is laden. Who is granting the power? Note how Napoleon crowns Josephine himself, rather than receiving the crown from a Pope, thereby wresting control and consolidating symbolism. Editor: So, the imagery reflects a shift in power dynamics? Curator: Precisely! It embodies a cultural rupture, signaling a new self-made order, and perhaps hinting at Napoleon's ambitions to redefine the very concept of emperorship. Editor: I see how David captured that ambition through the symbolism of the coronation. Thanks!