Inspired by the painting by Louis-François Lejeune Bonaparte giving his orders at the battle of Lodi (1804), as was customary for the Epinal prints, this plate of the passage of the Lodi bridge by the troops of the Italian army of General Bonaparte on May 10, 1796 is a historical witness of the military strategy adopted in the face of the Austrian army.
With the support of Generals Berthier, Masséna and Lannes, and under the leadership of Bonaparte once again in the spotlight, the artillery blocking the bridge is placed in battery and advances in close order to the rhythm of cries chanting the slogan “Vive la République."