Napoléon I (1769–1821)

Jean-Baptiste Isabey was the most celebrated miniaturist of the Napoleonic era, serving as official painter to Napoleon's court. This ivory miniature of Napoleon dates to 1810, the height of the French Empire, when Napoleon had recently married Marie Louise of Austria. Isabey had painted Napoleon since his days as a young general and was entrusted with designing the ceremonial arrangements for the coronation in 1804.

Painted on ivory in watercolor and gouache, Isabey demonstrates his mastery of the miniature format with precise stippling technique and luminous flesh tones that exploit the translucency of the ivory support.