The bust of Napoleon Bonaparte is carved from white marble. It measures 75 cm in height, 52 cm in width, and 44 cm in depth. Napoleon’s head exceeds natural proportions and is roughly half a meter tall. It is turned slightly to the left.

Bonaparte is portrayed as a thirty-year-old, at the time when he was First Consul of the French Republic. The artist idealized his features in the manner of ancient sculptures depicting mythological gods.

His short hair falls in loose strands, with the fringe covering half of his smooth forehead. His exposed ears lie close to his head. The face radiates perfect calm. Every feature is marked by harmonious proportions. The smooth forehead conveys nobility. The brow arches form an ideal line above his large eyes. A strong, straight nose, well-shaped lips, and a firmly defined jaw complete the image of a ruler. The sculpture ends in a gently rounded curve below the line of the collarbones of the bare torso.

The bust is a replica of the sculpture that formed the first stage of Canova’s work on the statue titled Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker. History’s irony lies in the fact that in 1816 the British government purchased the statue from King Louis XVIII and presented it to the Duke of Wellington—who had defeated Napoleon at Waterloo the previous year. This image of the emperor became widely popular and was frequently reproduced in the early 19th century. Canova kept the original bust in his bedroom until the end of his life.

The full-figure statue remains today at Apsley House, the home of the Duke of Wellington in London. The work presented in the exhibition is most likely a workshop replica of the bust, executed in fully three-dimensional form, visible from all sides: front, back, and profile.

Audio description consultation: Adrian Wyka
Content consultation: Miłosz Kargol