Napoleon I decorated a soldier of the Russian army in Tilsitt with the cross of the Legion of Honor

The painting was created in 1808 by Jean-Baptiste Debret, depicting Napoleon I awarding the Legion of Honour to a Russian soldier during the Treaty of Tilsit in July 1807. Initially exhibited at the 1808 Salon while still unfinished, it was later acquired by Napoleon in July 1809 for 8000 francs and installed at the Château de Compiègne. The work, now part of the French national collection, was later woven into Gobelins tapestries and is currently housed in the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon.

A preparatory drawing of the composition, made in 1808, is also held at Versailles, and a replica hangs in the Salon des Grands chanceliers at the Palais de la Légion d'honneur.

The painting is held by the Museum of the History of France at the Palace of Versailles, with inventory numbers MV 1556, INV 3757, and MR 1444. Originally displayed at the Salon of 1808, the work was subsequently installed at the Château de Compiègne following its acquisition by Napoleon in July 1809. A replica of the composition is preserved in the Salon des Grands Chanceliers at the Palais de la Légion d'honneur in Paris.

Additionally, a pen and ink drawing of the scene, created by Jean-Baptiste Debret in 1808 to document the work, is also conserved at the Palace of Versailles.

Jean-Baptiste Debret's 1808 history painting exemplifies the Napoleonic era's use of art to promote imperial prestige through 'national subjects.' Although not an initial imperial commission, the work gained immediate recognition when exhibited at the Salon of 1808, even in an unfinished state. Its success led Napoleon to acquire the canvas for 8,000 francs in July 1809, subsequently installing it at the Château de Compiègne before its transfer to the Palace of Versailles.

The painting achieved exceptional scholarly and institutional status in September 1810 when it was selected alongside four other works to be woven into tapestries at the Gobelins manufactory. This honor prompted Director Dominique-Vivant Denon to commission a faithful pen-and-ink drawing of the composition to preserve the image, a preparatory work that also resides at Versailles. A replica of the original is held at the Palais de la Légion d'honneur in Paris.

The painting’s legacy rests on its immediate impact at the 1808 Salon and its subsequent acquisition by Napoleon, cementing its role in promoting imperial prestige through art. After its exhibition, the work was purchased for 8000 francs in July 1809 and installed at the Château de Compiègne, where it remained until later transfers to the Musée national du Château de Versailles. The composition inspired a tapestry series at the Gobelins manufactory in 1810, reflecting its recognition as a national subject, and a faithful drawing of the piece was added to the royal collection at Versailles.

Reproductions, including a small pen-and-ink study, survive in the same institution, while a replica now hangs in the Salon des Grands chanceliers at the Palais de la Légion d'honneur, underscoring its enduring symbolic value.

Jean‑Baptiste Debret’s 1808 oil on canvas, titled Napoleon I decorated a soldier of the Russian army in Tilsitt with the cross of the Legion of Honor, records a diplomatic ceremony from the Napoleonic era. The composition centers on a bustling street where Napoleon presents the French Legion of Honour to Russian officer Aleksey Lazarev, with Tsar Alexander I observing. The work belongs to the collection of the Palace of Versailles.