Jan Baptiste Huysmans

Sale: Christie's, London, November 25, 1988, lot 66, illustrated
Kurt E. Schon Ltd., New Orleans, Louisiana
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1989

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. This painting has been quite recently restored. The canvas is lined and the paint layer has been cleaned, varnished and retouched. One would expect a large picture like this to show a fair amount of restoration, however, in this case, retouches have been sparingly applied in the lower chin and epaulette of one of the figures, approximately nine inches to the right of Napoleon, and in the remainder of the figure group generally. There are a few restorations in Napoleon's trousers however the figures themselves have survived almost unrestored. There are restorations in the trees to the left of the French flag, in the sky above the ships on the left and also in the sky in the upper right where there is a fairly significant restoration measuring approximately three by five inches. Apart from the odd cosmetic retouching addressing a crack or a slight blemish, this is a picture with precious few restorations. Overall, considering its scale, this picture is in very good state and in its elaborate frame, it should be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

In this scene, Napoleon is shown looking over plans for docks in Antwerp. The closing of the Scheldt due to the Treaty of Munster in 1648 destroyed Antwerp's trading activities. The city had reached the lowest point of its fortunes in 1800, and its population had sunk to under 40,000, when Napoleon, realizing its strategic importance, invested in the construction of two docks and a pier. The city revived with the opening of the Scheldt by the French in 1795 and with the expansion of its port facilities by Napoleon circa 1803. Accompanying Napoleon in the present picture are the Marshals of the Grand Armée, a military distinction granted to generals for exceptional achievement. Of the twenty-six Marshals of France under Napoleon, twelve are portrayed in this painting: Mortier, Marmont, Bernadotte, Macdonald, Soult, Bessières, Berthier, Lannes, Murat, Brune, Davoust and Masséna.  Their uniforms are embellished with the jewel of the Légion d'honneur, established in 1802 as the first modern order of merit.

Also shown are two members of the French Directory (1795-1799): Ducos and Sieyès.  Sieyès was responsible for preparing the coup of 18 Brumaire, which preceded the creation of a Consulate (1799-1804) and the establishment of Napoleon as the head of government in France.  Napoleon became the First Council, together with Cambacérès and Lebrun.  By 1802 he was given the position of First Consul for life with the right to name his successor.  On March 25, 1802, the Treaty of Amiens was signed, ending, or at least interrupting, the war with England.  However, the Treaty of Amiens proved to be no more than a truce, and in May 1803 the war with England was renewed.  The Emperor planned to turn Antwerp harbor into a military port, from where he could attack England in the summer of 1805, but his naval operations were not successful.

Among the Napoleon's generals portrayed are Dumas, Rosenburg, La Riboisière, Pichegru, Caulaincourt and Duroc.  Admiral Villeneuve who commanded the French fleets in the failed invasion of Britain is also depicted.

Talleyrand, Napoleon's Foreign Minister, Fouché, Minister of Police, Champagny, Minister of the Interior and Lacuée, Minister of War are also portrayed.  Huysmans has also included Napoleon's adopted son by Josephine, Eugène de Beauharnais, his manservant Roustam and the engineers Eblé and Cyr, who designed the plans for the docks.  One of Napoleon's famous white Arabian horses is also included in the background.