French Napoleon Bonaparte Oil Portrait C.1870 After Robert Lefèvre Military Art
London, United Kingdom
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Dimensions
Wear Condition
Good
Material
Oil on Canvas
Item Location
London, United Kingdom
Product Details
Description
French Napoleon Bonaparte Oil Portrait c.1870 After Robert Lefèvre Military Art
An important 19th-century French oil portrait of Napoleon I (1769–1821), circa 1870, after and adapted from Robert Lefèvre (1755–1830), depicting the Emperor in Imperial Guard uniform with Légion d’honneur insignia, ceremonial sword and historic London trade provenance.
Highlights
French School, circa 1870
Napoleon I (1769–1821), Emperor of the French
After and adapted from Robert Lefèvre (1755–1830)
Third quarter of the 19th century
Broader working range approximately 1860–1880
Oil on canvas
Historically relined
Large oval three-quarter-length composition
Imperial Guard military uniform
Broad red sash associated with the Légion d’honneur
Prominent silver breast star
Gold-fringed military epaulettes
Elaborate ceremonial sword and gilt hilt
Faint and presently indecipherable painted signature and/or inscription
Historic Thomas Kerr Antiques Ltd., London label verso
Special Auction Services inventory label verso
Just Mirrors, Fulham Road, London label verso
Substantial later decorative gilt frame
Approximately 109 × 90 × 4 cm framed
A commanding 19th-century French historical portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, represented in formal Imperial military dress.
Detailed comparative research has led to a reassessment of the painting's artistic source. Rather than Jacques-Louis David, the strongest relationship is with the official Napoleonic portrait tradition established by Robert Jacques François Faust Lefèvre (1755–1830).
Lefèvre produced numerous representations of Napoleon in military and ceremonial dress, establishing visual formulas that were subsequently copied and adapted by later artists.
Catalogue Details
Artist: French School
After: Robert Jacques François Faust Lefèvre (1755–1830)
Attribution: After and adapted from Robert Lefèvre
Sitter: Napoleon Bonaparte / Napoleon I (1769–1821)
Title: Portrait of Napoleon I in Imperial Guard Uniform
Date: Circa 1870
Working Date Range: Circa 1860–1880
Medium: Oil on canvas
Format: Oval
Canvas: Historically relined
Signature: Bearing a faint and presently indecipherable painted signature and/or inscription
Overall framed dimensions: Approximately 109 × 90 × 4 cm
The Portrait
Napoleon is presented directly against a restrained warm brown background.
His dark blue military coat contrasts strongly with the brilliant white front of his uniform. Gold buttons and substantial fringed epaulettes add richness, while the broad red sash and prominent breast insignia provide the principal ceremonial accents.
His hand rests upon an elaborate gilt sword hilt, reinforcing the sitter's identity as both military commander and Emperor.
Robert Lefèvre and Napoleon
Robert Lefèvre was one of the leading portrait painters associated with Napoleon and the Imperial court.
A particularly important comparison is Lefèvre's signed and dated 1805 portrait of Napoleon as Colonel of the Foot Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard, wearing the cross and Grand Eagle of the Légion d’honneur and presented within a painted oval.
The present painting appears to draw upon this established Lefèvre iconography while adapting it into a larger three-quarter-length composition.
The Légion d’honneur
Napoleon founded the Légion d’honneur in 1802.
The order became one of the defining institutions of Napoleonic France, and its red sash, cross and breast insignia became important elements of official Imperial portraiture.
In the present painting these decorations function as symbols of rank, military distinction and Imperial authority.
The Sword
Napoleon's hand rests deliberately upon an elaborate ceremonial sword.
The gesture reinforces the military character of the composition and provides a strong visual counterpoint to the orders displayed upon his uniform.
The Faint Signature
A faint painted signature and/or inscription is visible within the background.
The surviving marks cannot presently be deciphered with sufficient confidence to identify the artist.
The painting is therefore recorded as bearing a faint and presently indecipherable signature and/or inscription rather than simply being described as unsigned.
Dating
The present commercial catalogue date is circa 1870, with approximately 1860–1880 considered an appropriate broader working range.
This places the work within the later 19th-century revival of Napoleonic historical imagery.
Provenance
Earlier provenance presently unrecorded.
Thomas Kerr Antiques Ltd., 11 Theberton Street, London N1; historic trade label retained verso.
Just Mirrors, 675 Fulham Road, London SW6 5PZ; historic label retained verso.
Special Auction Services; inventory/handling label retained verso.
Thereafter in the collection/inventory of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.
Dimensions
Overall framed dimensions approximately:
109 cm high × 90 cm wide × 4 cm deep.
Frame
Presented within a substantial later decorative gilt frame.
The frame displays age-related rubbing, scuffs, scratches, staining, cracking, small losses and historic repairs.
Condition report:
The canvas has been historically relined.
The painted surface displays age-related craquelure, staining, minor scratches, small areas of paint loss and historic retouching including areas to the uniform and background.
The later gilt frame displays various signs of wear and age commensurate with use.
Please study all photographs carefully as they form an integral part of the condition report.
Wear Condition
Good
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Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
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Last updated: 12/02/2026
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