Coronation of Napoleon and Crowning of Josephine Tissue Paper

Jacques Louis David - Coronation of Napoleon and Crowning of Josephine at Notre-Dame-de-Paris, 1804. Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. Napoleon wanted to establish the legitimacy of his imperial reign, with its new dynasty and new nobility. To this end, he designed a new coronation ceremony unlike that for the kings of France, which had emphasized the king's consecration (sacre) and anointment and was conferred by the archbishop of Reims in Reims Cathedral. Napoleon's was a sacred ceremony held in the great cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris in the presence of Pope Pius VII. Napoleon brought together various rites and customs, incorporating ceremonies of Carolingian tradition, the Ancien Régime and the French Revolution, all presented in sumptuous luxury.