Five Sculptures by French Artists

Here are five photographs I took of sculptures from various travels. I am pretty sure they were all made French artists, however, I am not sure who those people were.

I think this beautiful sculpture was in Versailles.

Antonio Canova's "Bust of Napoleon"

Nationality: Italian
Born/Died: 1757-1822

Creation Date: c. 1810
Size: 102.3 × 87 in. (261× 221 cm)
Media: Marble

Photo by me. This is either from Malmaison in France or the Apsley House in London--I can't quite recall. There are many copies of this sculpture in the world.

One Year of Art! Jacques-Louis David's "Napoleon Crossing the Alps"

Nationality: French
Born/Died: 1748-1825

Creation Date: 1801
Size: 102.3 × 87 in. (261× 221 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: Château de Malmaison, Rueil-Malmaison, France

All of the detail and in-context photos are by me.

Although Napoleon was a terrible and deeply flawed person (he reminds me of Gail Wynand actually), independent of the specifics of history, I have always loved this painting which is why I am posting it for the one-year anniversary of this blog. In fact, it is one of my favorites--a powerful view of man as a capable and heroic being. When Napoleon commissioned it, he said he wanted to be portrayed as "calm on a fiery steed," which is an idea that I love.

An Unknown Artist's "Bust of Pauline Bonaparte"

Pauline Bonaparte was a despicable person, and yet, wonderful works of art have been made of her likeness, particularly in sculpture. This is because the subject's personality and morality are not aesthetic criteria.

50th Posting! Jacques-Louis David's "Napoleon Crossing the Alps"

Because today is special I'm posting one of my favorite paintings. It is sometimes also called Napoleon Crossing the St. Bernard Pass.