Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier (French, 1815-1891)

Dr. Constance Hungerford believes that the model used for the figure of Napoléon in the present study is actually Meissonier himself. The artist strove for exacting naturalism in his paintings, researching the habits of his subjects and using period accessories whenever possible. A visitor to Meissonier’s home in 1862 observed the artist wearing a replica he had commissioned of Napoléon’s overcoat and sitting on a saddle over a wooden trestle to simulate a horse and sketching himself from a mirror. When another visitor remarked that the Emperor’s thighs appeared too large in an earlier version of the painting, Meissonier decided he would pose for the figure instead, because the artist had ‘exactly [Napoléon’s] thighs.’

We are grateful to Dr. Constance Hungerford for confirming the authenticity of this painting.