We are offering this very Large 19th-century Fireback depicting Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte on Horseback.

This cast iron plate is very rare and ideal for the fireplace of an enthusiast of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
Dimensions 72x72 cm.
We know of no other available for sale, and it is in perfect original condition.

This plate comes from a château in the Oise department. It is an illustration of David's famous painting of Bonaparte crossing the Great St. Bernard Pass. It is an equestrian portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul, painted by Jacques-Louis David between 1800 and 1803. Napoleon is depicted during the crossing of the Great St. Bernard Alpine pass by the reserve army, an episode that marked the beginning of the second Italian campaign.

David painted five versions of this portrait, the first of which was commissioned by King Charles IV of Spain as a testament to the understanding between his kingdom and the French Republic; since 1949, it has been preserved at the Château de Malmaison National Museum. The next three were commissioned by the First Consul for propaganda purposes and are the first official portraits of Napoleon. They adorned the Château de Saint-Cloud (since 1816 at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin), the library of the Hôtel des Invalides (since 1837 at the Château de Versailles National Museum), and the palace of the Cisalpine Republic in Milan (since 1834 at the Belvedere Museum in Vienna). The last version had no patron and was kept by David until his death (entered the Château de Versailles National Museum in 1979, it has been exhibited at the Louvre Abu Dhabi since 2017).

The five versions of the painting are large and of similar dimensions (approximately 2.6 x 2.2 meters). Bonaparte is depicted wearing the uniform of a general-in-chief, wearing a bicorne trimmed with gold braid, armed with a Mameluke saber, and draped in a cloak inflated by the wind that rushes into its folds. He is riding a horse, and with his gloved left hand, he grips the bridle that controls his rearing mount. While turning towards the viewer, he points in a direction with his ungloved right hand. In the background, soldiers are climbing the mountainside and transporting cannons. At the bottom right, the tricolor flag is flying. Our fireback is to be picked up at our East Paris depot by appointment.

Dimensions 72x72 cm

Weight: 60kg

TO BE COLLECTED IN SEINE ET MARNE

*For this item, delivery is included in France, Belgium & Luxembourg only by carrier, within 2 to 6 weeks depending on schedule. For other countries, do not hesitate to request a quote by e-mail at