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Napoleone Bonaparte

Lorenzo Bartolini 1810

The sculptor's naturalistic vein is powerfully expressed in the numerous portraits, in plaster or marble, in the Museum's collection. The busts of historical personalities warrant special attention, starting with the Bonapartes, to whom Bartolini was very close. This half-length portrait of Napoleon Emperor from 1810 is a perfect example.

Technical information

Author: Lorenzo Bartolini
Title: Napoleone Bonaparte
Date: 1810
Material and technique: Marble
Size: h 30 cm
Location: Palazzo Pretorio Museum
Third Floor

Bartolini's connection with Napoleon’s family, which began in 1805, lasted almost thirty years after Napoleon's death, remaining strong until the artist's death in 1850. Bartolini in particular had a real veneration for the Emperor, so much so that he wore a golden bar of soap containing a tuft of his hair around his neck day and night.
The creation of a bust of Napoleon, to be placed in the Musée Napoléon, was entrusted to him after Jean-Antoine Houdon refused. The work was highly appreciated by Napoleon and is now preserved in the Bois Préau of Malmaison, near Paris.