Buste van een standbeeld van een nimf 1811

B. Lepage made this print of a nymph statue. The figure's classical features and serene expression present a vision of ideal beauty, hearkening back to ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. France, during the Napoleonic era, was fascinated by antiquity; this interest wasn't just aesthetic, it was also about power. Napoleon saw himself as a new emperor in the Roman tradition, and he used classical imagery to legitimize his rule. Museums played a key role in this. The Louvre, renamed the Musée Napoléon, displayed classical treasures alongside contemporary French art, linking Napoleon's regime to the glory of the past. Prints like this one, disseminated classical imagery beyond the museum walls. As art historians, we look at sources such as period newspapers, political pamphlets, museum records, and artists’ letters to understand the cultural and political context. In doing so, we reveal how the visual arts can serve ideological purposes, and the public role art can fulfill.