The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries

Commissioned by a Scottish admirer, Lord Douglas, this 1812 portrait by Jacques-Louis David emphasizes Napoleon's role as a civil leader rather than a military conqueror. The painting is rich with symbolic detail: the candles have burned down to their sockets and the clock shows 4:13 a.m., suggesting the Emperor has spent the entire night working. On the desk lies a rolled copy of the 'Code,' referring to the Napoleonic Code, the foundation of French civil law.

Napoleon is shown wearing the uniform of a colonel of the Grenadiers à Pied de la Garde Impériale, with his characteristic hand-in-waistcoat gesture. Upon seeing the finished work, Napoleon is reported to have told David, 'You have understood me, David; by night I work for my subjects' happiness, and by day I work for their glory.'