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Bust of Napoleon

Maciej Topolski

1807

oil

canvas

From the collection of National Museum in Warsaw

Early 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Bust of Napoleon is a 1807 oil by Maciej Topolski, held at National Museum in Warsaw.

Who painted this?: Maciej Topolski
When & what style?: 1807
Where can I see it?: National Museum in Warsaw

About this work

This painting is a portrait of a man in a military uniform. He wears a black hat with a red band and a black jacket with red trim and gold accents. A medal hangs from his neck. The man's face is turned to the left, and he looks straight ahead. His expression is serious. The background of the painting is dark, which makes the man stand out. The artist used chiaroscuro to create contrast between light and dark areas of the painting. This technique makes the man's face and uniform look more detailed and realistic. If you want to learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.

About the artist

Artist

Maciej Topolski

These paintings capture faces from Poland’s late 1700s and early 1800s. Maciej Topolski’s oil portraits show Jan Wołowicz as a child in 1788, a woman in 1812, and Franciszek Kunicki, a chamberlain from Chełm Land, in…

See the richer artist page