In this image, François Talma (r.), a famous French actor, instructs Napoleon on the proper bearing of imperial grace. While Talma stands in elegant contrapposto--his back to the viewer and right hip extended to support his weight--Napoleon's imitation of the pose is stilted and humorous. Instead of exhibiting natural grace, Napoleon's body is contorted into an angular posture: his left hip juts towards the top of the sheet, and his elbow creates a sharp angle above the level of his collarbone. In addition, Napoleon extends his hand far up the staff and leans on it as if he were a conductor on a skiff. In contrast, Talma's hand rests lightly on the staff, a gesture that enhances the S-curve of his body. Napoleon and Talma are also contrasted in their choice of clothing. Talma opts for a classical tunic, robe, and laurel crown, whereas Napoleon wears his hallmark uniform: black jackboots, a cocked hat, and a blue jacket embellished with gold epaulettes and studded with buttons. The contrasts indicate the timelessness of antique grace and the fickle modern tastes. Clearly no matter how earnestly Napoleon wishes to ape the imperial model, the result will always be a grotesque. Yet the contrast also calls the status and ability of modern actors into question. Although Talma may himself mimic antique postures, his mimicry is only superficial. At the end of the day, both men are moderns attempting to embody ideals that cannot be regained.
Notes:
This sheet is not signed or dated. Clerc attributes the engraving to Elie, and dates the image to around 1813. The authors of 'Napoleon Im Spiegel' agree with the attribution, but give 1814 as the date.
"T. donnant une leçon de grace et de dignité impériale"
Napoleonic Satires from the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:232317/
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