Portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte, full-length, as First Consul

This portrait of Napoleon as First Consul represents Gros’s role as the leading painter of Napoleonic propaganda imagery. Bonaparte appointed Gros to document his military campaigns after being impressed by the young artist’s portrait of him at the Bridge of Arcole in 1796, and Gros became the visual architect of the Napoleonic legend. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays monumental scale, vivid reportorial color, Romantic energy in figure groups, combining David's Neoclassical training with the excitement of actual military events.

The full-length format presents Napoleon with the commanding authority of a head of state. Gros combines neoclassical composition with Romantic energy in rendering the First Consul’s resolute bearing.