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Napoleonic paintings
In this free course, Napoleonic paintings, we will examine a range of Napoleonic imagery by David, Gros and a number of other artists, beginning with comparatively simple single-figure portraits and moving on to elaborate narrative compositions, such as Jaffa and Eylau. In so doing, we will have three main aims: to develop your skills of visual analysis; to examine the relationship between art and politics; and to introduce you to some of the complex issues involved in interpreting works of art.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- analyse paintings centred on the human figure in terms of how a work's form and content together produce its meaning
- explain how and why French painting came to be used and controlled by the Napoleonic regime
- discuss the problems of interpretation raised by Gros's Napoleonic paintings
- locate Napoleonic painting within the broad shift from Neoclassicism to Romanticism in French art.
First Published: 09/08/2012
Updated: 19/03/2019
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If you are a fan of Napoleon and the Napoleonic era, this is a course for you. And even if you are not, I would recommend this course. Well thought out and put together. I emerged with a much enhanced understanding of the period, and I have been reading about Napoleon for decades. Very much recommended.