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Napoleon on the field of Eylau, 1807, Gros, oil on canvas. This image I have decided to include in my research because it depicts the battle of Eylau. Gros has painted Napoleon with his arms raised above the wounded and defeated as if he were blessing them. 13
Napoleon commissioned this painting a year after the battle took place. Napoleon wanted this painting to depict his armies triumphantly winning with the Prussian and Russian armies either surrendering or retreating. For the right image to be produced Napoleon made the opportunity for the commission into a competition. This painting is pure propaganda of Napoleon and his armies. This painting depicts Napoleon walking over the bodies and wounded of the opposition, with his armies triumphantly following him. The battle of Eylau was a tragic battle which saw many casualties to both sides. The battle of Eylau never had a victor but both armies consider massive losses of 15,000 to 25,000 men (sundarajkeun, 2017). Gros has depicted the horrific seen of the frozen bodies in the foreground. The battle took place during the winter and Gros used this to depict Napoleon as a heroic leader, by showing him with his soldiers covered in thick coats and cloaks, where as the bodies and wounded on the ground are not wearing very much. Napoleon didn’t want to battle during the winter but the advancing armies of the Russians and Prussians forced him to fight. Gros created a sketch for the design of this image out of black and brown ink over graphite. Gros created this image because he submitted it into the competition for the commission. Gros won the competition which lead to him creating the final piece from oil paint. Gros has created a similar composition to his Napoleon in the Plague-stricken house of Jaffa. However in this painting he depicts more bodies in the foreground which adds greater emphasis on the blood shed. It also emphasises Napoleon and how he can maneuver his armies to successfully defeat a bigger army. Gros has painted Napoleon in the centre of this painting, seated upon a golden haired horse. This depicts Napoleon as godly with his arm raised above his head as if he were blessing the wounded and dying. This again is more propaganda produced by Gros to show the French people that Napoleon is a French hero. In this painting Gros has also created the bodies in the foreground to be larger than life size. This effect depicts Napoleon again as a hero because he won the battle against an army of much larger men. Gros may have used this to depict that Napoleon was out number and his armies were considerably smaller than his enemies. The layout of this image is similar to the style of Neoclassical work with a well balanced background and echoing forms. However in this painting Gros has created large visible brushstrokes which goes against the values of neoclassical works. Even though Gros used visible brushstrokes rather than creating a photographic like painting, it still depicts a dramatic seen of Napoleon, and having the bodies in the foreground cropped makes it look as if they are falling out of the painting. This use of repoussior is successful because it leads the viewer into the image and makes them feel the horror and the pain. 14
Page 1 and 2: What role did Neoclassicism play in
Page 3 and 4: What role did Neoclassicism play in
Page 5 and 6: Neoclassicism was an art movement t
Page 7 and 8: As emperor Napoleon maneuvered larg
Page 9 and 10: This painting is depicting the Batt
Page 11 and 12: Napoleon had this painting commissi
Page 13: In this painting Ingres has shown N
Page 17 and 18: This painting was commissioned 10 y
Page 19: References Palmer, L, A., (2011)

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