The Caesar of Paris

November 1, 2018
Voluminous chronicle of Napoleon's fanaticism about Roman antiquity and an ample catalog of his empire's acquisitions.A journalist specializing in art and docent at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Jaques (The Empress of Art: Catherine the Great and the Transformation of Russia, 2016, etc.) evidently has the eye and relish for the objet d'art, as she gives exhaustive treatment to Napoleon's studied appropriation of Roman imperial ritual, style, and trappings. His mythomania compelled him to dizzying heights of cultural plunder and enrichment. His conquering model was, of course, Caesar (and before him, Alexander the Great), whose triumphal processions through Rome bearing priceless booty from vanquished lands Napoleon re-enacted through the festooned streets of Paris once he consolidated power. Masterpieces seized during the Italian and Egyptian campaigns, unceremoniously ripped from temples, galleries, and altars, were relocated to Paris and displayed ceremonially for public "morale and patriotism," since France alone was the civilized heir to the ancient civilizations. Jaques moves chronologically over 15 years, from Napoleon's Consulate to Imperium and attempted dynasty, to record the systematic construction of his "New Rome" in Paris. He employed the work of artist Vivant Denon and designers Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, among others, to set the neoclassical tone at his court and palaces like Malmaison and Saint-Cloud. As Jaques amply shows, the empire's style was defined by Greek and Roman motifs in furniture, medallions, and jewelry; short hairstyles; and modest gowns in expensive French textiles. Meanwhile, Italian sculptor Antonio Canova created canonical neoclassical works like Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker. Framed by the historical context, the author's accretion of detail both impresses and becomes tiresome, spilling over into grand schemes of architecture like the Arc de Triomphe and Madeleine Church, Hadrian columns and Egyptian obelisks, and aqueduct systems modeled on Rome.A massively ambitious compilation of history and stuff that will appeal to students of Napoleon and art history buffs but overwhelm general readers.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2018

An ambitious and egotistical emperor with a quest for military victory and dynastic legitimacy, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) remade the European political and cultural map during his time in power, seeking to place himself in history through military victory and cultural acquisition alongside the likes of Pericles, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Charlemagne. Surrounded by the spoils of war that included the finest sculpture from antiquity, painting, jewelry, medals and coins, and other luxury goods, Napoleon understood and manipulated the function of art and architecture as both tribute and propaganda. As art historian and journalist Jaques (The Empress of Art) effectively illustrates in this well-researched biographical history that is also a chronology of his art acquisitions, Napoleon's passion for monuments and other visible symbols of grandeur was equal only to his passion for warfare. The author's style is an appealing combination of technical details and historical gossip that draws on relevant primary and secondary sources. VERDICT While collection facts and figures occasionally stray from the narrative, overall this substantial work is an enjoyable read for French and art history buffs alike.--Linda Frederiksen, Washington State Univ. Lib., Vancouver

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2018
Voluminous chronicle of Napoleon's fanaticism about Roman antiquity and an ample catalog of his empire's acquisitions.A journalist specializing in art and docent at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Jaques (The Empress of Art: Catherine the Great and the Transformation of Russia, 2016, etc.) evidently has the eye and relish for the objet d'art, as she gives exhaustive treatment to Napoleon's studied appropriation of Roman imperial ritual, style, and trappings. His mythomania compelled him to dizzying heights of cultural plunder and enrichment. His conquering model was, of course, Caesar (and before him, Alexander the Great), whose triumphal processions through Rome bearing priceless booty from vanquished lands Napoleon re-enacted through the festooned streets of Paris once he consolidated power. Masterpieces seized during the Italian and Egyptian campaigns, unceremoniously ripped from temples, galleries, and altars, were relocated to Paris and displayed ceremonially for public "morale and patriotism," since France alone was the civilized heir to the ancient civilizations. Jaques moves chronologically over 15 years, from Napoleon's Consulate to Imperium and attempted dynasty, to record the systematic construction of his "New Rome" in Paris. He employed the work of artist Vivant Denon and designers Charles Percier and Pierre-Fran�ois-L�onard Fontaine, among others, to set the neoclassical tone at his court and palaces like Malmaison and Saint-Cloud. As Jaques amply shows, the empire's style was defined by Greek and Roman motifs in furniture, medallions, and jewelry; short hairstyles; and modest gowns in expensive French textiles. Meanwhile, Italian sculptor Antonio Canova created canonical neoclassical works like Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker. Framed by the historical context, the author's accretion of detail both impresses and becomes tiresome, spilling over into grand schemes of architecture like the Arc de Triomphe and Madeleine Church, Hadrian columns and Egyptian obelisks, and aqueduct systems modeled on Rome.A massively ambitious compilation of history and stuff that will appeal to students of Napoleon and art history buffs but overwhelm general readers.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.