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Napoleon Bonaparte, First Emperor of France (1769-1821): M.1-1860

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Object information

Awaiting location update

Titles

Napoleon Bonaparte, First Emperor of France (1769-1821)

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Bust. White marble. The sitter is facing towards the front, with his head slightly lowered.

Notes

History note: Giorgio Granetti of Pisa, who in 1825 presented it to G.C. Heath.

Legal notes

Bequeathed by G.C. Heath, M.A., King's College

Place(s) associated

  • Ferrara ⪼ Italy

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1860-11-01) by Heath, G. C.

Dating

19th Century
After 1805 CE - Before 1821 CE

Note

Italy, Ferrara

The bust was said to have been modelled from life when Napoléon was in the Isola Bella, immediately before the Battle of Marengo, which took place in June 1800. It was believed to have been executed for the Duke of Melzi, Aide-de-Camp to Napoléon. The ADC left it in his will to his executor Giorgio Granetti of Pisa, who presented it to G.C. Heath in 1825.

There is an almost exact correspondence between this bust, however, and the well-known one by Canova (from a head modelled in 1802), which was presented to Napoléon by the artist in Paris in 1805. As the Battle of Marengo took place in 1800, it would seem that the present bust was not, in fact, modelled from life at that date.

People, subjects and objects depicted

Project

  • Sculpture UK

Components of the work

Bust Height 29.2 cm
Plinth Height 9.5 cm

Materials used in production

White marble

Techniques used in production

Carving : White marble, carved

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: IT cut, but not blackened

  • Text: G.G.A.IT
  • Location: On the back
  • Method of creation: Inscribed
  • Text: G. HEATH. N
  • Location: On the front of the plinth
  • Method of creation: Inscribed

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.1-1860
Primary reference Number: 31223
External ID: CAM_CCF_M_1_1860
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Wednesday 12 February 2020 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Napoleon Bonaparte, First Emperor of France (1769-1821)" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/31223 Accessed: 2024-04-27 02:51:06

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/31223 |title=Napoleon Bonaparte, First Emperor of France (1769-1821) |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-04-27 02:51:06|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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