Bonaparte adressing the legislative body.

William Elmes

Bonaparte adressing the legislative body.

London, Thomas Tegg, Feb 24^th 1813

Etching

Original hand colouring

350 x 245 mm

£480

Napoleon stands, colossus-like, legs apart, his head turned in profile to the right, looking down with an expression of despair. He is on a high dais beside his throne (right), and turns his back on the crowded hall. He wears a crown and imperial robe over ragged uniform. A tattered sleeve leaves his right forearm and elbow bare; his legs are naked between tattered remnants of breeches and spurred boots through which his toes project. He weeps, with a handkerchief to his eye, and his right hand touching the star on his breast. Behind him (left) is a sea of heads receding in perspective; these are burlesqued, with expressions registering dismay, cynicism, or sly satisfaction. Among them are three bishops wearing mitres. At the back of the hall is a gallery filled with heads on a tiny scale, feathered head-dresses show them to be ladies. Napoleon’s words fill a large label covering the upper part of the design: “I myself entered Russia, the Russian armies could not stand before our armies. The French arms were constantly victorious.—— ——“a swarm of Tartars turned their —— parricidal hands against the finest provinces of that vast Empire which they had been called to defend.—— “But the excessive and premature rigour of the winter brought down a heavy calamity upon my army—— in a few nights I saw every thing change.—— “the misfortunes produced by rigour of hoar frosts, have been made apparent in all their extent, —— I experienced great losses—they would have broken my heart, if under such circumstances I could have been accessible to any other sentiments than those of the interest,—the glory,—and the future prosperity of my people.— “I have signed with the Pope a Concordat, which terminates all the diffirences [sic] that unfortunately had arisen in the Church.—The French dynasty—reigns,— and will reign in Spain.—I am satisfied with all my allies.—I will abandon none of them.—The Russians shall return into their frightful climate