Napoleon in coronation costume

After the original by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1806

Oil on canvas

122 x 92cm

This portrait of Napoleon shows him seated on his imperial throne in the costume of his coronation, and was first shown at the Salon of 1806 to great criticism, including that of Ingres' own painting master, David. Ingres was panned for his imagery, harsh color scheme and his cold precision with paint. But what most baffled his audience was his deliberate reference of pre-Renaissance art. Ingres was so stung by the criticism that he remained in Italy more or less until 1841. His areer was further stunted by persistent criticism of his Salon entries and for a while he earned his keep as a street artist doing pencil sketches of tourists.