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Which medieval and Byzantine artistic traditions influenced Napoleon I on the Imperial Throne?
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Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Self-portrait, oil on canvas by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, c. 1800; in the Condé Museum, Chantilly, France.
In the painting Napoleon I on the Imperial Throne (1806), the artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres utilized specific stylistic elements derived from medieval and Byzantine prototypes to create an imposing effigy of the emperor. Specifically, the work is characterized by its stiffness and flat frontality, which were inspired by these historical traditions.1
At the time of its exhibition, these choices were controversial, as critics condemned the artist's "willfully primitivizing manner" and labeled the work as "Gothic".1