Description
In 1857, Barye designed a pediment for the western façade of the Sully Pavilion of the Louvre. His subject was Napoleon I Dominating History and the Fine Arts. He experimented using various motifs; in this drawing he shows the emperor enthroned holding a lyre. Rays emanating from his head associate him with the god Apollo. Napoleon is flanked by seated and reclining females. In the final design, the bust of Napoleon wearing a laurel crown was placed in the center flanked by female figures symbolizing History and the Fine Arts.
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