Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Lodi (May 10, 1796)

This monochromatic tempera painting served as the model for one of the 21 scenes of the "Fasti di Napoleone," which decorated the gallery of the Sala delle Cariatidi in Palazzo Reale in Milan. The "Fasti" were commissioned by Napoleon and destroyed in the bombing of 1943. This particular painting depicts the Austrian retreat towards Mantua, after General Beaulieu's attempt to block the French in Lodi. With his victory here, Napoleon secured his conquest of Milan; he entered the Lombard capital 5 days later.
The "Fasti," which Appiani started in 1800 and completed in 1807, were commissioned by Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais to celebrate Napoleon's achievements and the importance of the Italian Republic. So pleased was Napoleon that he ordered a graphic recreation, which a team of engravers worked on until 1816 under Appiani's direction.