Napoleon I as Emperor

François Gérard's Napoleon I as Emperor of 1805 presents the newly crowned Emperor in the full panoply of his invented imperial ceremony — the Carolingian crown, the imperial robes, the scepter of Charlemagne — projecting the claim to a specifically French imperial tradition that would supersede both the Bourbon monarchy and the Roman Republic. The portrait participated in the systematic construction of Napoleonic imperial iconography that employed multiple painters and required standardized images for distribution throughout the new empire. Gérard's version served as a model for numerous copies sent to prefectures and diplomatic missions.

Gérard renders the imperial regalia with meticulous precision, from the ermine-trimmed velvet to the gold laurel crown. The polished, elegant technique and commanding pose follow the grand manner of state portraiture.