The Arts in the Age of Napoleon 1800-1815

The objective of this slide show is to familiarize yourself with the art of the first empire (Napoleonic) Era and understand

how it bolstered the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte.

When Napoleon was crowned Emperor of France, a glorious

age in Art also began…

Historians call this the “Age of Empire.”

To this day, the “Empire Style” is associated with Napoleon and his

far reaching influence….

Let us begin with

painting…

As to be expected, paintings featured

Napoleon and his many

feats..let’s take a look at some of the

more famous paintings…

Napoleon chose the Bee to be his symbol of hard work and

industry…

The discovery of the Rosetta Stone in Egypt would eventually unlock the secrets of Hieroglyphics—and the

Egyptian discoveries caused a fad for all things Egyptian.

The empire style also changed women’s clothing styles…

The empress Josephin

e, led the way to good taste.

In England, a rival artistic movement began—it was called

Regency, because during this time King George III was effectively

“mad” and locked up at Windsor Castle. His son was the regent for over 20 years—(this was also the

time of Jane Austen’s novels).

Prince George built the Brighton Pavilion, a house based on Islamic/Chinese motifs. It was quite exotic for the time and caused a

scandal!

During this time, the destroyed city of Pompeii was being

excavated.

Empire and Regency styles remain popular today—they continue to influence design. Both Napoleon and George III would be surprised to see their designs on “Trading

Places” and “Martha Stewart Living.” Way to go, guys! It just

goes to prove you can rule a country and influence art at the

same time!