The story of Napoleon's rise to power, in Épinal prints

Inspired by Louis-François Lejeune's painting General Bonaparte Giving his Orders at the Battle of Lodi (1804), as was customary for Épinal prints, this plate of the passage of the Lodi bridge by the troops of General Bonaparte´s Army of Italy on May 10, 1796, is a historical document of the military strategy adopted in the face of the Austrian army.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!"

On November 15, 1796, the 19,000 soldiers of the Army of Italy faced some 24,000 Austrians under the command of General Joseph Alvinczy on the Arcole bridge, which overlooks the Agide. Over two days, French troops attempted to break through the Austrian defense by carrying out a pincer maneuver under the command of Generals Augereau and Masséna, without success.

Faced with the discouragement of the troops, Bonaparte then decided to seize a flag to lead his men to victory. The plate is reminiscent of Napoleon Bonaparte on the Bridge at Arcole, by Antoine-Jean Gros (1796).

This plate is a perfect example of the spirit of propaganda that permeates Pellerin's work. Many prints, like this one, served to propagate patriotic imperial worship by depicting Bonaparte as tantamount to a saint: generous, benevolent and just.

After the victory at Arcole, Bonaparte broke away from the rest of the army chiefs, including Murat and the Duke of Castiglione, and took off his hat to greet the defeated Austrian prisoners.

Pellerin worked on these prints with the brilliant François Georgin. Together, they gradually set up the beginnings of what would become the genre of comics by accompanying their compositions with long commentaries, as patriotic as they were educational.

This plate depicting the victory of Rivoli (January 14, 1797) directly follows Arcole's victory over the Austrian troops who, despite their certain numerical superiority, bow again, in particular to André Masséna who Bonaparte nicknamed the Child Blessed with Victory.

During the great Egyptian campaign in 1798, General Bonaparte, accompanied by scholars and some of the main leaders of the region, decided to go to the crypt of one of the Pyramids of Giza to visit the vault, which evoked the tomb of the god Osiris.

The richness of this plate is certainly found in the commentary, which here, truly serves as a tool for teaching. Distributed by peddlers, first in Europe then worldwide, from 1846 onwards, Épinal prints also served to publicize the customs of the territories crossed during the Napoleonic campaigns.

A famous victory of the Egyptian campaign, the Battle of the Pyramids (July 21, 1798) saw the French Army of the East, under the orders of Bonaparte, stand against the more than 10,000 Mameluke cavalry, Arab cavalry, and 30,000 fellahs and Janissaries commanded by Murad Bey.

While the collective imagination and the works that depict the battle place it at the foot of the great Pyramids, it actually took place at Embabech, on the plateau of Giza, from where the famous pyramids appeared only as faint points in the distant landscape.

Against the French armies wanting to seize the East stood the British army, which Bonaparte wanted to block from accessing the road to India. After having succeeded in scattering the fleet of the famous General Nelson in this race for conquest, the French troops finally managed to land in Alexandria in early July 1798.

In the midst of flames and gunfire, the French finally managed to take control of the city by charging the Janissaries at three different points.

Starting from a desire to restore the image of Bonaparte after the real butchery of the Siege of Jaffa in March 1799, Bonaparte commissioned Antoine-Jean Gros for a painting depicting him paying a visit to patients of the bubonic plague epidemic. Triggered by the lack of care for the wounded and sick, following a battle of rare hatred, it is the direct cause of the cruelty shown by Bonaparte following the beheading of a French emissary he had sent to the enemy. Here, Pellerin directly depicts Bonaparte visiting the plague victims at Jaffa.

In response to accusations from the British press, which alleged that Napoleon had ordered the euthanasia of the plague victims of his army, Napoleon decided to go to the sick to offer them his support, and even to touch them, without worrying about potential contamination.

In May 1800, on the eve of the second Italian campaign, the French troops crossed the Alpine Great Saint Bernard Pass with difficulty. In an print aiming to depict a propagandist vision of the romantic hero Bonaparte, Georgin and Pellerin paint the future emperor far from home, braving ravines, torrents, and precipices, indistinguishable from his men.

Here, the army is represented trampling through the snow in the crevices, dragging along the cannons and the hollowed-out trees carrying their weapons, under the orders of a clever Bonaparte, a true engineer.

This plate by Georgin and Pellerin is based on a diagram of a family tree. Instead of taking up the genealogy of a bloodline, and in place of a tree and its branches, The Column retraces the genealogy of the rise, then the fall, of Napoleon.

The column shown is the famous column erected by order of Napoleon in 1810 to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz. It is currently located at the Place Vendôme in Paris. Measuring 138 feet (42 m), in height its structure is covered with 85 bronze plaques, made from the guns taken from the Austrians and Russians during the Battle of Austerlitz (December 2, 1805). These bronze plaques, which wrap around the shaft of the column, illustrate the main events that constituted Bonaparte's rise to power.

Serving as close-ups of these historical plaques, Georgin and Pellerin's narrative bubbles mention some of the chosen events.

Beneath the platform where the statue of the Emperor stands, the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole, one of the first battles where Bonaparte appears as a genius commander, is recounted.
As in a mise en abyme, or image within an image. the artists revive their own prints in these bubbles, for example …

... the Battle of the Pyramids …

... or the passage of Bonaparte among the Austrian prisoners. In the other bubbles, they evoke significant events in the Emperor's rise to power, showing him on the eve of Austerlitz and writing the Civil Code.

Finally, the exile to Saint Helena is depicted: the symbol of the ultimate fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. Nonetheless, represented upright and proud facing the sea, the exiled Emperor still appears to be master of the world, and even seems to be showing his plan for return to General Bertrand, his faithful friend who would be by his side until the end.

The top of the Austerlitz column is dominated by the bronze statue of Napoleon Bonaparte. This print, which is supposed to offer an image of the commemorative column of the Battle of Austerlitz, really only represents the Emperor at the top on his pedestal. Bonaparte appears in his best light, dressed in his uniform, sword at his waist, trampling on cannonballs.

However, this representation of the myth of the hero-martyr Napoleon is intended to be close to the people, as it is accompanied by popular songs. It is this kind of print that would forge the Napoleonic legend and lead to true veneration by the French people.

Here, this folk song begins with:

"O thou ! Pride of my homeland,
Which saw the kings at your knees..."

This Pellerin print shows the famous incident of August 15, 1804, during which the Emperor traveled to the Boulogne camp, at Boulogne-sur-Mer, to present the cross of the Legion of Honor to the camp's 100,000 men for the first time.

Facing the sea, facing Great Britain, Napoleon ...

... accompanied by his two brothers, Joseph and Louis, as well as Murat and higher dignitaries ...

... is atop a dais in the center of a kind of amphitheater. Behind him, hidden, is the seat of King Dagobert, from which the Emperor wanted to preside.
Legend has it that the seat broke when Napoleon sat on it.

Note the vividness of the colors applied with the stencil; this is one of the hallmarks of Épinal prints.

After a skillful battle on the part of Napoleon and his high-ranking officers (Marmont, Lannes, Ney, and Suchet, to name just a few), the French army managed to push back the Austrian army under General Mack on October 14, 1805, into the city of Ulm. On October 17, 1805, having been driven back, Karl Mack and the Prince of Lichtenstein chose to accept the terms of surrender that Napoleon proposed to them, in order to avoid a bloodbath on both sides.

This plate recalls the surrender of the Austrian army and its commanders, who march before the emperor, heads down ...

... before a stern, proud Napoleon. The aim here is to show the extent of his strategic genius because the battle never took place. In the October 21, 1805, Bulletin of the Grande Armée (Great Army), the Emperor was reported to have said, "In fifteen days, we have won a campaign."

The Battle of Ulm created few casualties among the French troops, but some 500 soldiers nevertheless succumbed to their wounds before the Austrian surrender.

This plate shows one of the fallen soldiers, who, with his last breath, continued to encourage his comrades.

The Emperor, noticing him, throws his cloak to him and promises him the Legion of Honor if he manages to bring it back to him at the end of the battle. The soldier exclaims that the "shroud" given to him by the Emperor is enough for him, before succumbing. Later, the soldier was buried in the same cloak.

In addition to depicting Napoleon close to his soldiers, this plate has come to depict the respect and almost religious adoration that his men showed him.

On the eve of a great battle, a victory as significant as that of Austerlitz, which took place on December 2, 1805, it was important to encourage and raise the morale of the French troops who camped in the cold. So, on the evening of December 1, Napoleon did not hesitate to descend among the ranks, where he received a hero's welcome. This plate depicts this event, which shows how ...

... in the evening, although the Emperor was asleep by a fire after rereading the positions for the following day's battle, the soldiers of the Grande Armée woke Napoleon with shouts of acclamation and songs of praise for him.

The subject chosen here by Pellerin is powerful because it is an almost universal experience for all soldiers on the eve of battle. For the soldiers of the First World War for whom this new edition of 1912 was intended, this event directly echoed their situation.

Also called The Battle of the Three Emperors, the famous Battle of Austerlitz (December 2, 1805) this time pitted Bonaparte against the Emperors Francis I of Austria and Alexander I of Russia. It remains in collective memory one of Napoleon's decisive victories, as well as the fruit of a true tactical masterpiece.
Pitting more than 65,000 French soldiers against nearly 90,000 Austrian and Russian soldiers, it was thanks to meticulous strategy that the Grande Armée managed to achieve victory.

The number of soldiers is rendered on this plate by the repetition of the same figures at the top and in the depressions of the hills, which creates a feeling of movement on the print.

In the center is Napoleon, on horseback, stretching out his arm to grab the flags taken from the enemy, handed to him by a general. Unfazed ...

... he is accompanied by Berthier, Bessières, Junot, Duroc, and Lebrun.

In the center, he occupies the place of honor, as he embodies the hero-soldier ideal revered by the people.

This plate depicts a the series of victories that Napoleon led after Austerlitz in 1805. It was during the campaign of Prussia and Poland, as the Emperor rode a wave of victories, that the Battle of Jena took place on October 13, 1806.

Once again, Napoleon was at the center of the hostilities, as well as at the center of the image. "Present everywhere, the Emperor directed all operations," note Pellerin and Georgin under the picture.

Art lovers will recognize the famous canvas by Horace Vernet The Battle of Jena (1836), kept at Versailles.

In May 1808, when Napoleon obtained the abdication of Charles IV of Spain for the benefit of his brother Joseph, Madrid and all of Spain rose up against the French troops, which led to an uprising in the country. Pushed out of Madrid by the Spaniards supported by English troops, the French soldiers, led by Joseph, had no other choice but to call for Napoleon for reinforcements, who then marched to reconquer Spain. He arrived at the gates of Madrid on December 2, 1808, where he pillaged, until the city's surrender on December 5. Badly received, the Emperor returned to Chamartin, where he had established his headquarters.

Four days later, a delegation finally came to pay homage to him and swear loyalty to King Joseph. The rest of the inhabitants of Madrid followed within the month.

After this difficult rebellion on the part of the Spaniards, Napoleon appears as commander in chief, restoring the balance.

The siege of Zaragoza is certainly one of the most difficult battles for French troops in Spain. Lasting almost two months at the start of 1809, the fierce fighting pitted approximately 45,000 French soldiers against 31,000 Spanish soldiers …

... and 30,000 Spanish peasants and townspeople, made fanatical by the monks in General Palafox's entourage.
After several long exchanges, command of the siege finally fell to Marshal Lannes, who distinguished himself there.
The battle of Zaragoza will be remembered as one of the deadliest, as the population was decimated by both fighting and disease.

The battles between the Grande Armée and the Austrian troops in Bavaria during the month of April 1809 are considered by historians to be the most impressive demonstrations of Napoleon's military capabilities. The Battle of Ratisbon (also known as Regensburg), which Georgin and Pellerin chose to represent, was one of the battles that the Grande Armée won against Austria. This is also the episode they chose to once again illustrate the French soldiers' devotion to the Emperor.

Napoleon was slightly injured in the heel during the assault, but rumor spread through the ranks that he was seriously injured. In order to refute this rumor and to restore strength to the troops, he decided to get back on his horse, foot bandaged, and go among the crowds of soldiers who demonstrated their dedication.

After Ratisbon, the troops of the Grande Armée advanced toward Vienna to block the route of Archduke Charles-Louis of Austria, who commanded the enemy forces. Victorious in Vienna, the French nevertheless had to entrench themselves on the small island of Lobau on the Danube, before facing the Austrian army near Essling. It was thanks to the makeshift bridges built by the French to link the two shores that they managed to launch an attack at Essling on May 20, 1809. Unfortunately, on May 21, the bridges (which had become unstable because of the current and the incessant passage of soldiers), ended up breaking, leaving the troops of the Grande Armée troops unable to replenish munition. This rupture came to play a decisive role in the outcome of the battle, since it enabled the Austrians to win in combat.

On May 22, Marshal Lannes was hit in the knee with a cannonball, which led to his death. He was the first Marshal of the Empire to die in combat. The battle of Essling was considered a victory against the French Empire for the Austrians, who then called for a popular uprising in countries occupied by France.

After the defeat at Essling and the numerous losses counted by the French army, Napoleon decided to repopulate his ranks by requisitioning troops from Italy, Dalmatia, and Poland to push back the Austrian troops who threatened to take the island of Lobau housing the Grande Armée. Given that the victory of the French in this battle definitively repelled the offensive of the Archduke of Austria, it is often considered one of the deadliest fights that took place up to that point during the Napoleonic campaigns, since we can count almost 40,000 losses among the French, including General Lasalle, who joined Lannes in death. Many saw it as a harbinger of the Emperor's future defeats.

The Battle of Wagram took place under the walls of Vienna, which can be seen at the top of the print.

In June 1812, Napoleon decided to march on Russia to push Tsar Alexander I to sign a peace treaty favorable to France. So began the extremely deadly Russian campaign. This plate by Georgin and Pellerin shows the terrible Battle of Borodino, which Napoleon called the Battle of Moscow. It began on September 7, 1812.

Although the outcome of the battle was favorable for the French troops at first, despite the many human losses, it was only a short time before the Grande Armée entered Moscow on September 14 to then leave again on September 19. Thus began the infamous retreat from Russia.
The French army was ill-prepared for this long campaign, which would result in heavy losses, particularly given the lack of supplies and poor conditions.

While the Napoleonic troops carried out a strategic withdrawal after their semi-victory in Moscow, the Russian soldiers, commanded by Prince Mikhail Koutouzov, managed to surround the Grande Armée near the Berezina river, near the city of Borisov.

The French soldiers were exhausted, some on the verge of death, so, to flee, Napoleon decided to build bridges over the Berezina, which was not frozen despite the -35.5°F (-37.5°C) temperatures.
The crossing needed to be completed very quickly, at the risk of leaving the passage free to the Russian armies. It was decided that the bridges, built on December 28, 1812, would be burned on the morning of the 29th.

Exhausted, some refused to cross, preferring to die or be taken prisoner.
On the morning of the 29th, when the bridges were set aflame, the French soldiers watched in shock as the men, women, and children from the surrounding area tried to reach the other bank by crossing the flames or the icy river. It was truly a massacre for both the French and the Russians.
Though the battle of Berezina was technically a victory for Napoleon, it will nevertheless remain in collective memory as a human disaster. Incidentally, in France, the word Berezina in everyday language has become synonymous with failure.

After Napoleon's disastrous retreat from Russia in 1802, the French troops found themselves decimated. In February 1803, the Kingdom of Prussia decided to ally itself with the Russian Empire to recover the French conquests. On May 2, 1813, as the rest of the troops of the Grande Armée crossed the Elster to meet Wittgenstein's army, the French, who then occupied the city of Leipzig, were attacked by the Prussian-Russian allies, southwest of the city, on the plain of Lutzen. Although outnumbered, and although their cavalry had been completely destroyed in Russia the year before, Napoleon and his troops achieved victory thanks to a clever strategy by the Emperor, which once again showed his military genius.

Pellerin, in his commentary, reports that Napoleon stood on his horse in the middle of the battlefield, “(seeing) everything around him perish; but always calm and master of his thoughts."

On May 20, 1813, despite the victories over the Prussian-Russian armies, which took place at the beginning of the month, the Grande Armée found itself unable to keep up with the troops commanded by Field Marshal Wittgenstein to destroy them definitively.
On May 21 and 22, the battles of Bautzen and Reichenbach followed one another. Both resulted in French victory, which nevertheless left a bitter taste in Bonaparte's mouth. He had seen the death of his dear friend Christophe Michel Duroc, then Grand Marshal of the Palace and nicknamed "Napoleon's Shadow."

Wounded by a cannonball that took down Generals Bruyère and Kirgener, a few yards from the Emperor, Duroc died from his wounds that evening. It was a heavy loss for Napoleon who saw the death not only of a loyal friend but also a very valuable asset.

On February 28, 1814, Napoleon was informed of the difficulty Marshal Victor was having in pushing Prince Adam of Württemberg's troops back out of Montereau. Arriving on the battlefield, he quickly changed strategy and did not hesitate to join the soldiers in loading the guns.

While they tried to hold him back, fearing danger, Napoleon is said to have replied, "Come on, my friends, fear nothing, the bullet that will kill me has not yet been cast!"
The battle of Montereau resulted in a victory for the French, who succeeded in keeping the enemy troops away from Paris for a while. Nevertheless, it would not prevent the inevitable series of defeats to come for Napoleon, who had just won one of his last victories.

In March 1814, it was absolutely necessary to prevent the Austrian troops led by the Prince of Schwarzenberg from reaching the capital. While the French cavalry was already routed, Napoleon went to Arcis-sur-Aube to block the road for enemy armies marching to Troyes.

Overwhelmed and definitively undermanned, the Grande Armée was in danger of turning the city into its own tomb, when the Emperor arrived among the troops to fight alongside his soldiers, sword in hand.

Georgin and Pellerin report in their commentary that the Emperor narrowly missed being hit by a shell, and although everyone believed he was lost, he rose up to continue the fight. Against all odds, the Grande Armée would survive this battle, which pitted up to 28,000 of its soldiers against 80,000 Austrians.

In April 1814, the French Empire saw Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte abdicate for the first time, after the victory of the Sixth Coalition in the French campaign and the occupation of Paris on March 31, 1814. Louis XVIII was then put into power by the Coalition, and decided to exile Bonaparte to the island of Elba, in the Tuscan archipelago. Before leaving, the former emperor decided to gather his old guard in Fontainebleau, on April 20, to bid farewell to his close friends.

As he embraces General Petit ...

... , we can see General Bertrand on the right of the image, at number 5: a faithful friend, who would accompany him during his exile to Elba, then to Saint Helena.

But Napoleon was already anticipating his escape and the reconquest of France...