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Joachim Murat

Lorenzo Bartolini 1813

The bust of Joachim Murat, King of Naples and husband of Caroline Bonaparte, Napoleon's younger sister, is part of a series of “heroic” portraits of members of the Emperor's family, painted together with that of the young Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte, probably commissioned by the Banco Elisiano di Carrara, founded by the Grand Duchess of Tuscany Elisa Baciocchi.

Technical information

Author: Lorenzo Bartolini
Title: Joachim Murat
Date: 1813
Material and technique: Plaster
Size: h 64 cm
Location: Palazzo Pretorio Museum
Third Floor

The plaster depicts the features of Murat's face in an extremely realistic manner, inspired by an ancient cast by Antonio Canova. Until now it has been referred to as a model, but the sharpness of the modelling might rather suggest a cast from the marble bust, the location of which, however, remains unknown.
The commissioning body was founded by Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister, with the aim of providing assistance, including financial assistance, to all marble workers in the city, whether they were artists, simple craftsmen or quarrymen; it also directly took charge of the Academy of Fine Arts and the Carrara School of Sculpture.