The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of the Empress Joséphine

The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of the Empress Joséphine in Notre-Dame Cathedral on 2 December 1804

Jacques-Louis David

For his coronation as Emperor of France in May 1804, Napoleon wanted to be consecrated by the pope himself – as Charlemagne had been a thousand years before him – at a ceremony held in Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. But Napoleon also wanted to demonstrate his independence from the Church, so he crowned both himself and his wife, Joséphine. Nowadays, an event like that would be full of paparazzi…but in 1804, to record the ceremony for posterity, Napoleon commissioned a monumental work from the celebrated painter Jacques-Louis David. After attending the event, the artist used cardboard models and wax figures to reconstruct the scene for his painting. To highlight the splendour of the event, he contrasted complementary colours (especially red and green) and illuminated the stars of the event with a beam of light.