Portret van Lodewijk Napoleon Bonaparte

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

**Portrait of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte** *Engraving by Ernst Gottlieb Thelott, 6–1834* This striking engraving captures Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, the younger brother of Napoleon I, who reigned as King of Holland from1806 to 1810. Installed by his brother to strengthen French influence over the Netherlands, Louis earned a mixed legacy for his efforts to embrace Dutch customs, even learning the language and adopting the name "Lodewijk." Created during or shortly after his tumultuous rule, this portrait reflects the era's political turbulence and the Bonaparte family's expansive ambitions across Europe. Ernst Karl Gottlieb Thelott, a skilled German engraver, masterfully employs the intaglio technique of engraving, incising fine lines into a metal plate to produce rich, detailed reproductions ideal for widespread dissemination. Measuring 278 × 203 mm, the print's intimate scale made it perfect for collectors and admirers. On the verso, a collector's mark (Lugt 2228) links it to esteemed provenance, underscoring its value in art historical circles. As a testament to Napoleonic portraiture, this work highlights engraving's role in immortalizing royalty and disseminating imperial iconography, bridging fine art with popular culture in the early 19th century.

About the Artist

Ernst Karl Gottlieb Thelott · 1760–1834

Ernst Karl Gottlieb Thelott (1760–1834) was a German copperplate engraver and painter whose career spanned the transition from Enlightenment classicism to early Romanticism, working primarily in Augsburg and later becoming a representative figure of the Düsseldorf School of Painting. Born in Augsburg—one of Germany's historic centers for printmaking and artistic crafts—Thelott developed his engrav...