The Condine Of The Emperor Napoleon And The Coronation Of Empress Josephine
Through the Marxist lenses of art historical analysis, art is a form of economic production. Art is a way to show the political and economic role in society. Because of this, artists are no more than workers, people who do a job because they are getting paid for it. Art purpose is to portray the moral, social and economic factors of society.
In Jacques-Louis David painting “The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Josephine” the artist got commissioned by Napoleon to make a painting depicting an important moment in the bourgeoisie history.
The patron’s motivations were to capture this moment and expose it with splendor, without leaving aside the political message that the acts of consecration and coronation
held. The artist was to follow the Emperor instructions and because of it, this work would represent the power that a commissioner had over the “employee”. An artist is used as a method to obtain an object and it abandons the freedom of expression that was commonly attached to the artistic meaning.
David’s painting serves as a perfect example to show the blend between art and history. In 1804 Napoleon was proclaimed Emperor, during the same year he crowned the Empress Josephine. David chose that moment to portray Napoleon in front of her kneeled figure, crowning her. In the painting we can distinguish other important figures as the Emperor’s brothers and sisters, Napoleon’s mother, the Pope among cardinals and bishops, Marshal Murat, the great dignitaries of the Empire, among other important political and social figures.
The realism and the lightning employed in David’s technique magnifies the moment, making the painting more than just a group portrait of the imperial family but a vivid experience.
Art takes a sociopolitical moment and turned it into a masterpiece. This is a principle found in the Marxist analysis because Art would not be successful if it was not used to portray the political and economic roles.
In Jacques-Louis David painting “The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Josephine” the artist got commissioned by Napoleon to make a painting depicting an important moment in the bourgeoisie history.
The patron’s motivations were to capture this moment and expose it with splendor, without leaving aside the political message that the acts of consecration and coronation
held. The artist was to follow the Emperor instructions and because of it, this work would represent the power that a commissioner had over the “employee”. An artist is used as a method to obtain an object and it abandons the freedom of expression that was commonly attached to the artistic meaning.
David’s painting serves as a perfect example to show the blend between art and history. In 1804 Napoleon was proclaimed Emperor, during the same year he crowned the Empress Josephine. David chose that moment to portray Napoleon in front of her kneeled figure, crowning her. In the painting we can distinguish other important figures as the Emperor’s brothers and sisters, Napoleon’s mother, the Pope among cardinals and bishops, Marshal Murat, the great dignitaries of the Empire, among other important political and social figures.
The realism and the lightning employed in David’s technique magnifies the moment, making the painting more than just a group portrait of the imperial family but a vivid experience.
Art takes a sociopolitical moment and turned it into a masterpiece. This is a principle found in the Marxist analysis because Art would not be successful if it was not used to portray the political and economic roles.