Picazzo, the crazy painter!
[a.k.a. the man who painted music while listening to paintings] [31 out of 40]

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Napoleon Bonaparte at the Great St. Bernard Pass - Jacques-Louis David (1801)

Napoleon Bonaparte at the Great St. Bernard Pass by Jacques-Louis David is an iconic painting that depicts the conqueror as a classical emperor. Napoleon is painted astride a horse, confidently holding onto the animal that rears nervously and fearfully. The leader wears a parade uniform and a large cloak that billows in the wind to the left. Meanwhile, the soldiers are climbing up the narrow mountain path. Jacques-Louis David was commissioned by Napoleon to create his imperial image through a grand work, to celebrate his greatness in Europe. The painting indeed testifies to the strength of the First Consul, portraying him as a heroic leader at the Great St. Bernard Pass. Napoleon's face is firm, serene, and assertive, while the horse's expression is frightened and tense. The result of this choice is the depiction of a leader with a strong and decisive character who manages to tame the natural fury and hold back its tension. The soldiers climbing to the left appear very small compared to Napoleon, painted in their fragile humanity, highlighting the effort of the ascent. The author depicts Napoleon on horseback during the journey through the Alps. The future emperor is immortalized at the moment of crossing the Great St. Bernard Pass. To reinforce his reputation as a great emperor, Napoleon had the names of Charlemagne, who crossed the Alps at the Cenisio with his troops in A.D. 773 to fight against the Lombards, carved onto the rocks to the left. Additionally, the name of Hannibal, the Carthaginian who, during the Second Punic War in the 3rd century B.C., arrived in Italy by crossing the Alps to challenge the Romans, is also inscribed. [source analisidellopera.it]

Associated LP of 1996