Napoleon Crossing the Alps (Bonaparte franchissant le Grand-Saint-Bernard)

Commissioned by the King of Spain, this 1801 painting is the first of five versions created by Jacques-Louis David. It serves as a highly idealized piece of political image-making, portraying Napoleon as a calm, heroic figure on a rearing horse, despite the historical fact that he crossed the Alps on a mule.

The work is a masterpiece of the Neoclassical style, designed to solidify Napoleon's mythic status following his victory at the Battle of Marengo. The names of Hannibal and Charlemagne are inscribed on rocks in the foreground alongside Bonaparte's, linking him to the great conquerors of history.