François-Séraphin Delpech (Paris, 1778 - 1825, Paris)
Napoleon Bonaparte, about 1820
Lithograph, 27.3 x 18.1 cm (10 3/4 x 7 1/8 in.)
This vertical lithograph is a small, bust-view portrait of the young Napoleon Bonaparte. The figure is turned slightly to our right with his head twisted to our left. He has medium-light skin and hair which is parted in the center and falls to chin length. His forehead is narrow, his nose long and straight, and his chin slightly tipped up. His dark eyes stare off to our left, and his expression is serious and intent. The figure wears a dark, textured jacket with an embroidered border and decorative buttons. The jacket’s collar is high and folds over in the back. A turtle-necked garment is visible under the jacket. Directly beneath the bust, the label Bonaparte is printed.
Short Gallery
Commentary
While attending finishing school in Paris during the 1850s, Isabella Stewart Gardner was captivated by French literature, culture, and history. Of particular note is her interest in the former French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. Isabella acquired this lithograph of Napoleon Bonaparte sometime before 1915, and displayed it with several other Napoleon-related souvenirs. The maker, François-Séraphin Delpech, was a renowned artist, lithographer, and art critic during the First French Empire and produced numerous lithographic portraits of leading figures of that time period.