0:00:00.264,0:00:02.294 This is Napoleon Bonaparte. 0:00:02.344,0:00:06.068 He's cool, he's confident, [br]he's hot, he's... 0:00:06.164,0:00:07.164 What? 0:00:10.594,0:00:13.269 This piece is called [br]"Napoleon Crossing the Alps" 0:00:13.269,0:00:14.744 by Jacques-Louis David. 0:00:14.754,0:00:18.717 It's the most famous portrait[br]of the brutal French military leader 0:00:18.757,0:00:20.113 turned Emperor 0:00:20.133,0:00:23.846 but in reality this painting[br]is a giant lie 0:00:23.876,0:00:27.546 and just another reason, the artist[br]is considered a sellout. 0:00:27.983,0:00:32.146 It's so pretty though, [br]it can't be that bad, right? 0:00:32.206,0:00:35.218 Settle in and grab some chicken Marengo. 0:00:35.238,0:00:37.406 Things are about to get wild. 0:00:37.866,0:00:42.961 Napoleon emerges front and center[br]mounted on a wild stallion. 0:00:43.221,0:00:46.929 He's cool as a cucumber, [br]bathed in an Angelic light 0:00:46.939,0:00:49.533 that seems to come from the heavens. 0:00:49.583,0:00:52.677 His bright red cloak [br]bubbles up around him 0:00:52.677,0:00:56.580 as a brisk wind thrusts[br]his brown hair across his face, 0:00:56.660,0:00:58.962 framing his deep set eyes. 0:00:59.022,0:01:00.598 His left hand grips the rains, 0:01:00.688,0:01:04.752 his right hand points toward [br]the steep snowy mountaintops, 0:01:04.831,0:01:07.491 as if he's commanded them[br]into their present form. 0:01:07.591,0:01:09.605 The weather is terrible. 0:01:09.655,0:01:12.790 His horse is practically [br]foaming at the mouth. 0:01:12.801,0:01:15.839 Soldiers are scaling[br]the treacherous cliffs in the distance 0:01:15.839,0:01:18.204 and Napoleon is just like 0:01:20.814,0:01:22.558 "Hold my beer!" 0:01:22.686,0:01:25.682 Maybe you know Napoleon[br]as a short hot headed man 0:01:25.682,0:01:27.601 with an ego the size of Europe, 0:01:27.666,0:01:30.807 but maybe you didn't know[br]he was so hot. 0:01:31.622,0:01:32.555 "Oh my!" 0:01:33.435,0:01:35.512 And that's because he wasn't. 0:01:35.572,0:01:38.590 But, to be fair, [br]he also wasn't that short either. 0:01:38.630,0:01:41.759 He was 5'7" which was around[br]average height for his time, 0:01:41.859,0:01:44.089 a little short for a general though. 0:01:44.089,0:01:47.389 Napoleon thought that posing[br]for this portrait wasn't worth his time 0:01:47.389,0:01:49.289 even telling Jacques-Louis-David 0:01:49.309,0:01:52.415 "Nobody knows if the portraits[br]of great men resemble them. 0:01:52.539,0:01:55.592 "It's enough [br]that their genius lives there." 0:01:56.984,0:01:59.615 So, David made do with what he had. 0:01:59.737,0:02:03.004 The artist asked his son[br]to pose for the portrait on a ladder 0:02:03.014,0:02:05.092 wearing Napoleon's uniform 0:02:05.092,0:02:09.282 which is probably why he looks[br]so young and so full of shark 0:02:09.551,0:02:12.601 Napoleon wasn't just[br]a genius military commander, 0:02:12.621,0:02:15.627 he was also a master propagandist 0:02:15.657,0:02:18.776 and this painting is no exception. 0:02:18.805,0:02:20.244 Here's the key. 0:02:20.244,0:02:22.354 Napoleon didn't ride up the Alps[br]on a horse, 0:02:22.354,0:02:24.027 he rode up on a mule. 0:02:24.027,0:02:27.447 He also didn't even lead his troops[br]over the Alps at all, 0:02:27.447,0:02:29.880 he followed them a couple[br]of days later 0:02:29.933,0:02:34.396 and the weather was apparently nice,[br]not treacherous as the painting suggests. 0:02:34.546,0:02:36.612 This painting by Paul Delaroche 0:02:36.612,0:02:40.350 created around half a century[br]after David's piece 0:02:40.370,0:02:42.419 is a much more accurate depiction 0:02:42.439,0:02:45.419 of what Napoleon's voyage[br]actually looked like. 0:02:45.839,0:02:47.939 So, how did we get here? 0:02:48.219,0:02:52.174 Let's take a trip back to the time[br]and place of Napoleon's birth 0:02:52.374,0:02:55.513 The island of Corsica in the year 1769... 0:02:55.926,0:02:57.807 (Cough) Oh, sorry. 0:02:57.903,0:02:59.694 ...it's actually over here. 0:02:59.694,0:03:02.627 The island of Corsica[br]is off the coast of France and Italy. 0:03:02.679,0:03:05.247 Though Napoleon was still born[br]a French citizen, 0:03:05.247,0:03:07.623 since the island had been seized by France 0:03:07.636,0:03:09.720 just a year before he was born, 0:03:09.730,0:03:12.217 when he was sent[br]to boarding school in France. 0:03:12.217,0:03:13.346 at the age f nine, 0:03:13.346,0:03:16.717 all the kids made fun of his accent[br]and thought he was weird. 0:03:16.857,0:03:19.161 But the bullying didn't stop him 0:03:19.222,0:03:22.165 and Napoleon graduated[br]went to military school 0:03:22.165,0:03:24.576 and then became an artillery officer. 0:03:26.893,0:03:29.794 So, what was France even like[br]during this time? 0:03:29.794,0:03:33.866 Imagine a world where the king,[br]the queen and the super rich 0:03:33.866,0:03:35.608 pay nothing in taxes 0:03:35.677,0:03:38.008 and throw lavish parties every night 0:03:38.018,0:03:41.011 while the poor are literally[br]starving to death 0:03:41.011,0:03:42.904 and working all the time. 0:03:42.984,0:03:45.805 Welcome to France in the 18th century. 0:03:46.075,0:03:49.756 What's more the government[br]had accumulated a lot of debt 0:03:49.766,0:03:52.338 and decided that in order to pay for it 0:03:52.338,0:03:55.029 they would tax the poor even more. 0:03:55.069,0:03:59.809 I think it goes without saying[br]that the poor were peeved, really peeved 0:03:59.999,0:04:03.654 and they even started to question[br]whether they needed a king at all. 0:04:03.749,0:04:07.206 In the 18th century you couldn't come[br]into a position of power 0:04:07.226,0:04:09.141 unless you were born into it. 0:04:09.215,0:04:12.633 This harsh reality started[br]to sink in for Napoleon 0:04:12.719,0:04:15.491 as he attempted[br]to climb the ranks in the military. 0:04:15.531,0:04:20.422 He realized that nobody gave a frantic[br]feline about his talent and hard work, 0:04:20.742,0:04:23.173 Meritocracy who? We don't know her. 0:04:23.193,0:04:25.418 The only chance he had[br]of climbing the ranks 0:04:25.432,0:04:27.762 was a shakeup to the entire system, 0:04:27.837,0:04:29.803 a revolution perhaps. 0:04:29.883,0:04:31.883 And as fate would have it, 0:04:31.883,0:04:33.788 that's exactly what he got 0:04:33.853,0:04:37.186 In May 1789 the French Revolution began. 0:04:37.396,0:04:39.701 Napolean fought for the Revolution 0:04:39.757,0:04:43.443 and through the combination[br]of a volatile political climate, 0:04:43.509,0:04:45.680 some impressive military leadership 0:04:45.680,0:04:48.450 and opportunistic political maneuvering, 0:04:48.505,0:04:50.758 he climbed all the way to the top 0:04:50.798,0:04:54.954 and in 1799 he was granted[br]the title of First Consul, 0:04:55.024,0:04:57.982 making him the most powerful man[br]in France. 0:04:58.359,0:05:01.360 But as Napoleon got busy [br]reforming the government, 0:05:01.380,0:05:03.840 the French army was struggling 0:05:03.840,0:05:05.930 trying to fight the austrians in Italy. 0:05:05.980,0:05:09.200 This was simply unacceptable[br]for Napoleon, who said: 0:05:09.231,0:05:14.194 "A newly born government[br]must dazzle and astonish. 0:05:14.201,0:05:16.752 "When it ceases to do that, it fails." 0:05:17.212,0:05:20.447 So, Napoleon left France[br]to dazzle and astonish, 0:05:20.487,0:05:22.895 as a military commander once more. 0:05:23.045,0:05:26.589 Napoleon was a successful military leader[br]for a few reasons. 0:05:26.599,0:05:29.410 For one, his men respected him 0:05:29.410,0:05:31.413 because he not only believed in them, 0:05:31.433,0:05:33.439 he fought alongside them 0:05:33.469,0:05:36.747 but also because he was clever[br]and innovative in his tactics 0:05:36.767,0:05:39.488 and capitalized[br]on the element of surprise. 0:05:42.887,0:05:45.992 There are two ways [br]to get into Italy from France 0:05:46.132,0:05:48.380 the Piemonte region, which is easy 0:05:48.380,0:05:51.155 and where any sane commander[br]would cross with their troops 0:05:51.185,0:05:54.931 or the northern route through Switzerland,[br]through the Alps, 0:05:55.142,0:05:59.552 Crossing through the Alps with an army[br]was a very risky thing to do. 0:05:59.652,0:06:03.049 For one thing, the mountains[br]are steep and treacherous 0:06:03.119,0:06:06.915 and a single snowstorm or landslide [br]can be devastating . 0:06:07.052,0:06:09.749 Maybe you can guess [br]the route that Napoleon took. 0:06:09.749,0:06:11.982 Only two commanders in history 0:06:11.982,0:06:14.834 had successfully led their forces[br]across the Alps 0:06:14.834,0:06:17.310 and Napoleon wanted[br]to make sure everyone knew that. 0:06:17.350,0:06:22.098 So, he told David to include the names[br]of the other two great commanders, 0:06:22.148,0:06:23.637 Charlemagne and Hannibal 0:06:23.637,0:06:26.205 which appear to be carved into the rocks, 0:06:26.205,0:06:28.173 to the bottom left of the painting. 0:06:28.173,0:06:32.012 And you'll notice the position [br]slightly above both of them 0:06:32.042,0:06:34.367 is Napoleon's nam. 0:06:34.417,0:06:38.634 This painting depicts this event,[br]formerly known as the Battle of Marengo, 0:06:38.684,0:06:42.518 where the French took the Austrians[br]by surprise and won. 0:06:42.668,0:06:46.202 In celebration of his recent victory [br]and becoming First Consul, 0:06:46.270,0:06:51.270 an exchange of gifts took place[br]between Charles IV of Spain and Napoleon 0:06:51.300,0:06:53.956 to reestablish diplomatic relations 0:06:54.023,0:06:57.904 and this portrait was actually[br]commissioned by King Charles 0:06:57.912,0:06:59.488 and gifted to Napoleon. 0:06:59.583,0:07:02.173 Maybe you noticed that this piece[br]is slightly different 0:07:02.173,0:07:04.961 from the painting we've been looking [br]at the whole video. 0:07:04.974,0:07:08.474 Napoleon requested David to make him[br]three more versions of this portrait 0:07:08.474,0:07:11.004 and this is technically the third version 0:07:11.024,0:07:13.022 but I like it better than the original. 0:07:13.022,0:07:14.204 What do you think? 0:07:14.204,0:07:17.616 It turns out that David[br]was kind of obsessed with Napoleon, 0:07:17.685,0:07:20.741 so, he made a fifth version[br]to keep in his studio. 0:07:20.831,0:07:24.328 Jacques-Louis-David[br]was a super talented artist. 0:07:24.394,0:07:25.960 I mean, look at this. 0:07:25.960,0:07:27.069 Are you serious? 0:07:27.089,0:07:31.453 But how could anyone look at art like this[br]and called David a sellout? 0:07:31.573,0:07:33.640 David hated the French monarchy 0:07:33.654,0:07:36.300 and was a staunt supporter[br]of the Revolution. 0:07:36.360,0:07:38.378 He was among the hundreds of men 0:07:38.378,0:07:41.351 who voted to send King Louis XVI [br]to the guillotine. 0:07:41.351,0:07:44.511 He was a member[br]of the extremist Jacobian group 0:07:44.671,0:07:47.901 and created political propaganda[br]paintings on their behalf. 0:07:47.921,0:07:50.431 David was even arrested [br]at one point 0:07:50.450,0:07:53.210 for his alignment with the group[br]during the Revolution. 0:07:53.250,0:07:56.670 What's confusing is that the artist[br]remained loyal to Napoleon 0:07:56.750,0:07:58.180 throughout his rise 0:07:58.180,0:08:01.693 and after he became emperor,[br]David was made first court painter 0:08:01.775,0:08:04.764 and the propaganda pieces[br]just kept coming, 0:08:04.832,0:08:07.807 like this painting [br]of Napoleon's coronation 0:08:07.807,0:08:09.369 and this painting titled 0:08:09.369,0:08:12.960 "The Emperor Napoleon[br]in his Study at the Tuileries". 0:08:12.980,0:08:15.090 The candles have almost burned out, 0:08:15.090,0:08:17.937 the clock reads 4:13 in the morning, 0:08:17.975,0:08:20.300 Emperor Napoleon stayed up all night 0:08:20.397,0:08:22.323 working on the Napoleonic Code. 0:08:22.353,0:08:24.686 That's what he wants us to think anyway. 0:08:24.726,0:08:28.469 David held his allegiance to Napoleon[br]until the bitter end 0:08:28.529,0:08:31.226 and when the former Emperor [br]was exiled from France, 0:08:31.266,0:08:33.284 David was exiled as well. 0:08:33.384,0:08:36.090 Many have raised doubts[br]about David's motives, 0:08:36.147,0:08:39.589 questioning how he could oppose[br]the monarchy so strongly 0:08:39.663,0:08:42.640 only to later endorse[br]someone like Napoleon 0:08:42.716,0:08:45.083 who forcefully rose to power 0:08:45.083,0:08:47.976 and made himself a tyrannical dictator. 0:08:48.056,0:08:51.193 Though his revolutionary paintings[br]were so raw and intense 0:08:51.268,0:08:52.984 which makes it difficult to believe 0:08:52.984,0:08:56.012 that he didn't genuinely believe in it. 0:08:56.012,0:09:00.499 Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most[br]controversial figures that ever lived. 0:09:00.836,0:09:02.941 and rightfully so, he reinstated slavery 0:09:02.941,0:09:06.197 after it was already abolished, 0:09:06.237,0:09:09.405 he stripped away the few rights[br]women had been able to obtain 0:09:09.405,0:09:10.929 during the Revolution. 0:09:10.949,0:09:13.546 He died with a lot of blood[br]on his hands 0:09:13.626,0:09:16.844 in his quest to conquer Europe[br]and take over the world 0:09:16.844,0:09:19.203 but he also introduced legal reforms 0:09:19.268,0:09:22.405 such as the presumption of innocence[br]until proven guilty, 0:09:22.405,0:09:25.259 freedom of religion [br]and educational advancements, 0:09:25.269,0:09:28.208 including the integration of science[br]into curricula, 0:09:28.286,0:09:31.474 all of which remain cornerstones[br]of modern society. 0:09:31.504,0:09:34.086 For better or for worse we see the signs 0:09:34.086,0:09:37.058 of Napoleon's presence [br]in the world even today. 0:09:37.138,0:09:39.440 Napoleon may not have set [br]for this portrait 0:09:39.440,0:09:43.546 but David's painting portrayed him [br]exactly as he wanted to be seen, 0:09:43.626,0:09:45.804 the ideal savior for a nation 0:09:45.804,0:09:48.268 that was desperate and in the[br]trenches, 0:09:48.268,0:09:50.405 in Napoleon's own words: 0:09:50.425,0:09:52.948 "I found the crown of France [br]lying in the gutter 0:09:52.949,0:09:54.589 "and I picked it up with my sword 0:09:54.589,0:09:57.415 "but it was the people [br]who placed it on my head." 0:09:57.489,0:10:00.541 Napoleon is immortalized[br]in David's painting 0:10:00.611,0:10:03.488 as a man who urges us to follow him, 0:10:03.528,0:10:06.627 a man who remains calm on a fiery steed, 0:10:06.647,0:10:10.471 a man who leads his soldiers[br]even in the worst of conditions, 0:10:10.528,0:10:13.176 a man with the power [br]to command the mountains 0:10:13.259,0:10:18.243 and perhaps more importantly[br]the power to command those boots too.