Portrait of Joachim Murat
Anne-Louis Girodet·1820
Historical Context
Girodet's portrait of Joachim Murat from around 1820 depicts one of Napoleon's most flamboyant marshals—the cavalry commander whose personal bravery and extravagant taste made him both a military hero and a figure of theatrical excess. Murat had been made King of Naples in 1808 and executed in 1815 after his failed attempt to reclaim the kingdom following Napoleon's defeat, and this posthumous or near-posthumous portrait reflects the cult of Napoleonic heroes that was already developing under the Restoration. The 1820 date places this in the period of Napoleonic nostalgia that would intensify throughout the Restoration and July Monarchy, and Girodet's portrait participated in the visual construction of the Napoleonic legend.
Technical Analysis
Murat's famous love of elaborate military costume is documented with the rich detail the subject demands. Girodet renders the gold braid, decorations, and rich fabrics with meticulous precision. The portrait projects the dashing, romantic image that Murat carefully cultivated, captured in the formal portrait format appropriate to a king.
