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Which one of these depictions of Napoleon is your favourite?

I have seen a resurge of interest in this miniseries since the release of Ridley Scott's disaster. There is an excellent version on youtube that you can watch.

This scene depicts a situation that did actually happen between Napoleon and Josephine. Josephine either faked a pregnancy or mistook a possible pregnancy to avoid having to travel to Italy during Napoleon's campaign in 1796. Eventually she was pushed/forced to visit Napoleon in Italy because Napoleon began to slack his military campaign out of worry/desperation for his wife. Of course it would become obvious that she wasn't in fact pregnant. This scene depicts Napoleon finding out about the 'miscarriage'.

Even though this miniseries is not that historically accurate, it does capture the character of Napoleon so much better than Ridley Scott's new film.

Napoleon's General outfit is definitely my favourite of all the Napoleonic uniforms.

I just saw the new Napoleon film at the cinema and needless to say, it was a 2,5 hour cringe fest full with historical inaccurate bs in every single scene.

Here is a newly released piece of art of Napoleon Bonaparte as an artillery officer by Mariusz Kozik. What a refreshing sight after looking at grumpy Joaquin Phoenix' face for 2,5 hours.

Scene from: Napoleon & Josephine a love story (1987).

Even though it is quite historically inaccurate, I really enjoyed this three-part miniseries. Napoleon provokes one of his own men in this scene by pretending to dislike Napoleon, of course that doesn't end very well for Napoleon.

A funny little story about Napoleon,

Being one day in the Empress's chamber while she was dressing, he accidentally trod on the foot of the lady who presided at the toilette, and immediately cried out as though he had himself been hurt. "What is the matter?" inquired the empress anxiously. "Nothing, nothing" he replied whilst he burst into a fit of laughter. "I trod on the lady's toe and I cried out only to prevent her from doing so. You see my plan succeeded." - On Napoleon

(painting by Arthur David McCormick)

Napoleon Bonaparte being injured during the siege of Toulon in 1793, he received a bayonet stab in his thigh by a British sergeant which caused a serious injury, serious enough that amputation was considered.

(scene from BBC’s heroes and villains starring Tom Burke as Napoleon)

This is a portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte made by Francesco Cossia in 1797 during the Italy campaign.

It was commissioned by Maria Cosway, an English admirer. Napoleon sat for the portrait in his campaign tent while he was on the road between Verona and Viena in March 1797. But it is known that Napoleon had great difficulties sitting still for portraits so eventually Francesco Cossia gave up on the portrait and refused to receive money for it. Nevertheless this uncompleted portrait does give us a glimps into the life of a 27 year old Napoleon as it is one of the few portraits drawn from actual life.

Marlon Brando in Désirée (1954)

Napoleon Bonaparte painted by Charles Monnet

Napoleon Bonaparte painted by Mathieu Ignace van Brée.

Napoleon Bonaparte painted by Jean-Georges Vibert.

Napoleon Bonaparte painted by Paul Emile Boutigny.

Napoleon having dinner with the actor François-Joseph Talma.

François-Joseph Talma was Napoleon’s favourite actor and they became friends before Napoleon became famous. Talma and his then wife, Julie Carreau, had rented out their house to increase their finances, the new tennant was none other than Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie, the future wife of Napoleon (Josephine). Napoleon and Josephine even married at their house and Napoleon eventually bought the house from Talma in 1798.

At the time they became friends, Talma was much more popular than Napoleon in France and often provided him with free tickets and even on some occasions money. It is even said that the two enjoyed telling ghost stories to each other in the dark.

They remained good friends for the rest of their lives. Talma even visited Napoleon in disguise after his abdication following the disastrous battle of Waterloo in 1815. 

Napoleon Bonaparte painted by Nicolas-Toussaint Charlet.