Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps

Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps is an equestrian portrait of a youthful black male painted by the contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley in 2005. It is based on Jacques-Louis David’s 1801 equestrian portrait, Napoleon Crossing the Alps. This painting was chosen by a man who Wiley had approached in the streets. The basic composition of Wiley's painting is the same as the 200-year-old painting it was based on, and has many of the same elements. The modern painting has a decorative background rather than the battlefield background. It is in the Brooklyn Museum.

Background

The painting is very typical of the style of Kehinde Wiley in that it is a monumental painting that incorporates brocade/decorative motif as an element of the background. It is seen against a rich red background embellished with gold floral motifs.

Similarities between the two paintings

Jacques-Louis David's painting

The basic composition of Wiley's painting is similar to the well-known portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte by Jacques-Louis David, and the two paintings share many elements.

References

• Banks, Andre. "NO POSER HERE; Acclaimed Artist Kehinde Wiley Paints Black Masculinity Anew." ColorLines 8, no. 4 (Winter 2006): 57.
• Lenzi, Carlotta. "Jacques-Louis David: Artistic Interpretation in Tumultuous Times." (2008).
• Munhall, Edgar. "Portraits of Napoleon." Yale French Studies no. 26, The Myth of Napoleon (1960): 3-20.
• Shareef, Shahrazad A. "The Power of Decor: Kehinde Wiley's Interventions into the Construction of Black Masculine Identity." UMI Dissertations Publishing (2010).

External links

• “Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps.” Brooklyn Museum.
• Kehinde Wiley FAQ. Kehinde Wiley Studio.
• smarthistory.org