Napoleon I presents the King of Rome to the dignitaries of the Empire, March 20, 1811

Georges Rouget executed this history painting in 1812, depicting the presentation of the King of Rome to imperial dignitaries on March 20, 1811. The work was created for public exhibition and was shown at the Salon of 1812. It is currently held in the collection of the Museum of the History of France, located within the Palace of Versailles in France.

The painting is cataloged under multiple inventory numbers, including MV 4706, INV 7747, and AC 2456, reflecting its status within the national French museum system.

The painting is held at the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, specifically within the Museum of the History of France at the Palace of Versailles. Its inventory numbers are MV 4706, INV 7747, and AC 2456, as recorded in the French national collections database Joconde.

The work was exhibited publicly at the Salon of 1812.

The painting shaped academic historical art in 19th‑century France, influencing Salon historiography through its grand narrative of imperial succession. Contemporary critics praised its theatrical composition and symbolic portrayal of legitimacy, a view that persisted in later historiographical assessments of the era. Its display at the 1812 Salon cemented its status as a visual reference for the Napoleonic legacy, inspiring later depictions of imperial ceremony in European museums.

Georges Rouget’s oil on canvas, completed in 1812, portrays a ceremonial presentation that took place on 20 March 1811. The composition centers on a man in a red coat offering a baby to an assembly of imperial dignitaries, with Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, and Napoleon himself among the onlookers. The work is part of the collection at the Palace of Versailles.