How did Jacques-Louis David organize the many figures in The Coronation of Napoleon?

In The Coronation of Napoleon, Jacques-Louis David organized the numerous figures to maintain narrative clarity and restraint, hallmarks of the Neoclassical style.1

To manage the complexity of the scene, David arranged most of the figures in groups, with the majority facing forward as if positioned on a theater stage. Beyond the central figures of Napoleon and Empress Joséphine, the composition includes:1

• Advisers: Located toward the right foreground, these figures are depicted from the back, though their profiles identify key officials such as Charles-François Lebrun, Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, and Louis-Alexandre Berthier.1
• Family and Clergy: Members of Napoleon’s family are grouped on the left, while members of the clergy and various ambassadors are positioned further in the background.1
• Central Focus: To avoid distracting the viewer, David minimized peripheral action, focusing attention on the central interaction between Napoleon and Joséphine, as well as the blessing gesture of Pope Pius VII.1

Additionally, David included himself in the second row of the gallery, where he is depicted sketching the event.1