Portrait of Napoléon on the Imperial Throne
This painting depicts Napoleon in his decadent coronation costume, seated upon his golden-encrusted throne, hand resting upon smooth ivory balls. It was first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1806, and received such bad reviews that Ingres was humiliated, and vowed never to exhibit again at the Salon, and refused to return to return to Paris. Although the painting was owned at the time by the Corps Legislatif, a part of the French legislature, the painting contains certain markings at the top right of the painting, leading art historians to believe that the painting was originally commissioned as portrait of Napoleon as King of Italy.
