Napoleon on the Bellerophon
1815 painting by Charles Lock Eastlake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Napoleon on the Bellerophon is an oil on canvas painting by the British artist Charles Lock Eastlake, from 1815.[1] It is held in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.[2]
| Napoleon on the Bellerophon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist | Charles Lock Eastlake |
| Year | 1815 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, Portrait |
| Dimensions | 260 cm × 179 cm (102 in × 70.4 in) |
| Location | |
History and description
It depicts the deposed Emperor of the French Napoleon as a prisoner aboard the Royal Navy ship of the line HMS Bellerophon in Plymouth Sound. Eastlake was a young, largely unknown artist at the time, but later went on to become President of the Royal Academy. It is also known by the longer title Napoleon on Board the Bellerophon in Plymouth Sound.
After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and his second abdication following the Hundred Days campaign, Napoleon tried to escape to the United States but surrendered to Bellerophon on 14 July 1815. While a decision was made by the Congress of Vienna about his future, he was brought to Plymouth. Napoleon was ultimately taken on to his final place of captivity, the island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean.
While held off Plymouth, the spectacle attracted large crowds on the shore. Eastlake hired a boat and rowed out towards the ship where he could study Napoleon. His painting portrays Napoleon standing at a gangway of Bellerophon in the uniform of a colonel of the chasseurs à cheval. He appears as a great figure of history, somewhat heroic, although the draped Union Jack on the left of the picture emphasises his status as a prisoner of the victorious British.[3] A Royal Marine stands guard to the right.[4]
The painting was a popular success, financially allowing Eastlake to travel in Europe studying Old Masters in continental galleries.[5]