The Triumph of Bonaparte celebrates the French defeat of Austria and the signing of the Treaty of Lunéville in 1801. Napoleon, as first consul of the Republic, stands in a chariot flanked by Victory and Peace. The Muses precede the chariot, while the Arts—painting, sculpture, and architecture—follow behind. A work of unbridled propaganda, the drawing is also a call for Napoleon to support the arts.
Prud’hon’s idiosyncratic style blends a frieze-like arrangement of figures and overt references to ancient Rome (hallmarks of the period’s classicizing tendencies) with a soft sensuality inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and other Italian Renaissance masters.