Propaganda's Artistic Legacy

Napoleon's image-making produced genuinely great art alongside crude propaganda. David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps turns a mule ride through a mountain pass into a cosmic event — the general on a rearing horse, cloak billowing against the peaks. It is magnificent, dishonest, and unforgettable at once.

The gap between his real appearance and his painted self shows how propaganda distorts without lying outright. He was unremarkable in height, thickening with age, and balding; his portraits show a lean, commanding figure with piercing eyes. Each painting told the truth selectively.