Wedgwood – Portrait Of Napoleon I

England, Etruria, circa 1800–1805

Blue and white jasperware

Oval jasperware medallion with a deep blue background, decorated with an appliqué of a large bust of Napoleon Bonaparte in white relief, depicted in left profile, his head encircled by a laurel wreath.

The portrait, executed in the neoclassical style, depicts the Emperor according to an iconography inspired by antiquity. The contrast between the white relief and the matte blue background is characteristic of jasperware produced by the Wedgwood factory.

On the reverse, the mark “WEDGWOOD” is engraved, along with two old perforations intended for mounting or hanging.

Provenance: François Duesberg Museum, Mons.

Museum Comparisons

An example of the same model is held at the Birmingham Museum of Art and dated to around 1800. It is also marked “WEDGWOOD” on the reverse.

The British Museum holds a corresponding portrait of Napoleon I in blue and white jasperware, made in Etruria and dated around 1804 (inv. 1887,0307,I.20).

References: Birmingham Museum of Art, “Napoleon I,” Wedgwood, circa 1800; British Museum, inv. 1887,0307,I.20, circa 1804.