The Self-Made Emperor: A Coronation Like No Other

If you have ever visited the Louvre Museum in Paris, you wouldn’t have missed its most prominent painting (apart from the Mona Lisa, of course) - “The Coronation of Napoleon” ("Le Sacre de Napoléon") by Jacques-Louis David. To explain the significance of this painting in simple terms – it is the depiction of probably the most famous “Who’s the boss?” moment in French history. Let’s dive into the interesting details of the coronation of France’s self-made Emperor.

Bonaparte Before the Sphinx (c. 1886) by Jean-Léon Gérôme, Hearst Castle

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75309705

Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power as First Consul of the French Republic (from 1799 to 1804) and later as Emperor of the French (from 1804 to 1814). During his time as First Consul, Bonaparte became the target of multiple assassination attempts and sought ways to consolidate his power. Thanks to his military and political experience, most notably acquired during the French Revolution, he managed to transform the Republic into an Empire. The hereditary element of the Empire would shield him from attempts to change the regime through assassination.

However, Napoleon aimed higher – the Empire was a secular creation, but Bonaparte desired to consecrate his rule, which could only happen with a coronation by the Pope. The relationship between the Vatican and France during that period was very complicated and charged with tension, but Pope Pius VII accepted Napoleon’s invitation for the coronation after he made some concessions to the Vatican.

Catholicism had been banned during the French Revolution, and France had previously invaded the Papal States and taken Pius VII’s predecessor as a prisoner, where he met his death. Napoleon’s policy to reconcile the Catholics to his regime led to the Concordat of 1801, which reinstated Papal authority over French churches and established Catholicism as the primary religion of France, though not the state religion, in order to affirm the freedom of faith. Napoleon also restored most of the Papal States to Pius VII.

Though this agreement might have seemed a major concession on Bonaparte’s part, his goal was to have the Vatican's blessing while simultaneously asserting the Empire's power over the Pope. Not long after the Concordat was signed, Napoleon made unilateral changes to the agreement, prompting Pius VII to agree to come to Paris, hoping the consecration would give him a chance to negotiate these changes.

The Pope’s role in his plans was not the only obstacle for Napoleon. Given that he rose to prominence during the French Revolution, he couldn’t install the same regime he fought to defeat. He didn’t want this new France to be associated with the ancien régime of the French monarchy, which had fallen to a revolution less than a decade before. To achieve this, he had to set himself apart from the previous rulers of France and modify the symbolic meaning of the coronation.

Napoleon, to some extent, seemingly wanted to emulate the famous Charlemagne coronation of the year 800 and be consecrated by the Pope. French Kings were always consecrated by an archbishop in the Reims cathedral, but he decided to hold the event in Paris at the cathedral of Notre Dame. Nearby buildings were demolished to make more space for Parisians to gather.

Arrival of Napoleon at Notre-Dame for his coronation

By Charles Percier (1764–1838), Pierre François Léonard Fontaine (1762–1853) - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55650444

After Napoleon entered the Cathedral, he briefly prayed, then handed his regalia to his advisors (the necklace of the Légion d’honneur, a gold scepter, the hand of justice, and a sword with a diamond-encrusted handle) and swore a religious oath to Pius VII. The Emperor and Empress then received the holy blessing on their foreheads and hands, as well as the blessed regalia. Napoleon then ascended the steps to the altar, but as the Pope held up the crown, Napoleon famously seized it from his hands and placed it on his own head. He then took the imperial diadem and placed it on the head of Josephine, who was kneeling before him. It is important to note that French queens were very rarely crowned, and never alongside their husbands.

Napoleon in coronation robes by François Gérard (1770-1837)

By Workshop of François Gérard - Geheugen van Nederland : Home : Info : Pic, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29934655

Crowning himself and Josephine was an unforgettable move by Napoleon, one that had never been done before. By his symbolic actions, the Emperor showed Pius VII that his power was not derived from the Catholic Church, but from his own will and accomplishments, asserting that he wielded political power over the Vatican.

After the ceremony, the imperial couple led a procession to the Tuileries, on streets adorned with flowers and lanterns, while the crowd cheered them on. In the following month, Paris was busy with official receptions and events, celebrating the consecration of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Josephine.

This important historical event has been commemorated in “The Coronation of Napoleon” – a highlight of the Louvre's collection, and a must-see for every visitor. Commissioned in 1804 by Napoleon himself, the painting was created by the official painter of the Imperial court, Jacques-Louis David. The impressive artwork is a little over 6 meters tall and almost 10 meters wide. It is painted in the spirit of Neoclassicism and depicts Napoleon I crowning his wife Josephine. Among the faces in the painting are many of the famous attendees of the coronation – Napoleon’s ministers, advisers, his sisters, ambassadors, the King of Holland and his son, and many more.

“The coronation of Napoleon” (1804)

By Jacques-Louis David/ Georges Rouget - art database, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=546742

David, a guest at the ceremony, aimed to create a monumental artwork that is clear and just to the reality of the events that occurred. It is known that after inspection, David had to make some changes at Napoleon’s request. One example is the depiction of Pope Pius VII, who is portrayed as raising his right hand in a gesture of blessing. Scholars have concluded that he was initially portrayed as being passive, but this element was modified later at Napoleon’s request.

Scholars have also discovered that initially, the central action of the painting was going to be Napoleon crowning himself, but it is unknown if this modification was requested by him or was a decision of the painter. Napoleon also required David to include his mother in the painting, even though she refused to participate in the coronation in protest of his tense relations with his brothers.

After the painting was completed, it was presented at the Paris Salon in 1808 and received with great enthusiasm. As Todd Porterfield wrote, this amazing artwork served as “a surrogate experience of the actual event, a chance to witness the coronation ceremony by proxy after a delay of several years.”

French painter Louis-Leopold Boilly even created a painting depicting the crowds gathered to witness Jacques-Louis David’s work.

The Public Viewing of David’s "Coronation" at the Louvre, Louis Léopold Boilly (1810)

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue; Public Domain