Artwork
Les Comices de Lyon
Les Comices de Lyon is an oil painting by Nicolas-André Monsiau. It dates from 1808 and is held in the collection of the Museum of the History of France.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The monumental scale (319 × 483 cm) and Salon of 1808 presentation amplify the work's role as a state image celebrating Napoleonic Italy.
The painting records a specific political ceremony: the Consulta of the Cisalpine Republic, convened as a comice (assembly) at Lyon on 26 January 1802, formally conferring the presidency on First Consul Bonaparte. As a history painting commissioned by Napoleon himself, it functions as official Napoleonic propaganda, glorifying the transfer of authority over the client Cisalpine Republic and reinforcing the ruler's legitimacy through a quasi-civic, electoral ritual.
Iconographically, the assembled parliament of delegates gathers within a Lyon setting, with figures in formal clothing representing the political body of the Republic. The depiction of Napoleon amid this deliberating assembly frames his elevation not as conquest but as a consensual act of the consultative body, lending an air of constitutional sanction to the consolidation of his personal power. The monumental scale (319 × 483 cm) and Salon of 1808 presentation amplify the work's role as a state image celebrating Napoleonic Italy.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1808, the painting is an oil on canvas measuring 319 cm in height and 483 cm in width. The handling is characteristic of French academic practice, with smooth, polished brushwork and sharply defined contours that articulate the figures and architecture. Stylistically, the composition aligns with Neoclassical conventions, employing a restrained palette and clear spatial recession to stage the ceremonial event.
The scene’s architectural backdrop and orderly arrangement of participants reinforce the historical gravity of the subject, while the controlled lighting focuses attention on the central figures and the act of acclamation.
History & Provenance
The painting was commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate the Consulta of the Cisalpine Republic convened in Lyon on 26 January 1802, when delegates awarded the presidency to the First Consul.
Painted in 1808 by Nicolas-André Monsiau, the work was exhibited at the Salon of 1808. It entered the collection of the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, where it remains inventoried as MV 1500 (INV 6776; MR 2192).
Overview
Les Comices de Lyon is an oil painting by Nicolas-André Monsiau, a French history painter, completed in 1808. It is part of the Palace of Versailles collection.
Context
The painting reflects Monsiau's conservative Neoclassical approach and Poussiniste drawing style, situating it within the broader artistic trends of its time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolas-André Monsiau (1754 – 31 May 1837) was a French history painter and a refined draughtsman who turned to book illustration to supplement his income when the French Revolution disrupted patronage.
- The Seat of Justice in the Parliament of Paris in 1723
The Drawing Gallery of the Felix Meritis Society
Feast given after the coronation of Louis XV of France
Ouverture des Etats-Généraux à Versailles, le 5 mars 1789
Reception of the Dutch ambassador Cornelis Hop by the French king Louis XV, 24 July 1724
Untitled
The Senate-Conservative receives the flags taken during the Austrian campaign, January 1, 1806
Opening session of the General Assembly, 5 May 1789
Afternoon Tea at the Temple
Regents of the Almshouse, 1729
A Masquerade at the King's Theatre, Haymarket
Carlos III renuncia a la corona de Nápoles