Napoleon on the Bridge at Arcole

painting by Antoine-Jean Gros

Also known as: “Bonaparte on the Bridge at Arcole”

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July 18, 2026

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Napoleon I *Bonaparte on the Bridge at Arcole, 17 November 1796*, oil on canvas by Antoine-Jean Gros, 1796; in the Versailles Museum.

Napoleon on the Bridge at Arcole is a painting by Antoine-Jean Gros, completed in 1796. It depicts a pivotal moment during Napoleon Bonaparte's Italian campaign when he planted the French flag on the bridge at Arcole. Gros, a French Romantic painter, was known for his historical depictions of Napoleon's military achievements. This painting, inspired by an incident Gros witnessed, became his first major work and earned him recognition from Napoleon himself. The artwork is significant for its dramatic portrayal of a key event in Napoleon's rise to power and influenced later Romantic painters like Théodore Géricault and Eugène Delacroix.1

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Antoine-Jean Gros
…in his first major work, Napoleon on the Bridge at Arcole (1796). Napoleon bestowed on him the rank of inspecteur aux revues. He accompanied Napoleon on his campaigns and also helped select works of art from Italy for the Louvre.
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…in his first major work, Napoleon on the Bridge at Arcole (1796). Napoleon bestowed on him the rank of inspecteur aux revues. He accompanied Napoleon on his campaigns and also helped select works of art from Italy for the Louvre.
Read More