Doop van Napoleon Frans Karel Jozef

About this artwork

diameter 6.8 cm x weight 124.83 gr

Art Historical Context

This striking medal, created by French artist Bertrand Andrieu in 1811, commemorates the baptism of Napoleon François Charles Joseph, the infant son of Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Louise of Austria. Measuring 6.8 centimeters in diameter and weighing 124.83 grams, the piece was produced through the traditional technique of striking, in which a design is impressed into metal under high pressure. Such medals served as durable, portable records of imperial events, allowing the image of the young “King of Rome” to circulate widely among supporters of the Napoleonic regime. Andr, a leading medalist of the First Empire, worked within the neoclassical taste by Napoleon’s court. His designs often blended precise portraiture with allegorical figures to convey political messages of continuity and legitimacy. Created at the height of imperial power, the medal captures a moment of dynastic hope just three years before the empire’s collapse, offering today’s viewers a tangible link to the ceremonies and propaganda that shaped early nineteenth-century Europe.

About the Artist

Bertrand Andrieu · 1761–1822

French, Bordeaux 1761–1822 Paris