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The Celebrated Visit of General Bonaparte to a Plague Hospital in the City of Jaffa, Syria, March 11, 1799

c. 1834-1835
Jean-Baptiste Thiébault (French, 1809–1839) After a painting of 1804 by Baron Antoine Jean Gros (French, 1771–1835) Published by Pellerin, Imprimeur-Libraire, Épinal, France (active 19th century)
To dispel fear and boost the morale among the French troops in the Syrian campaign, Bonaparte made a personal visit to soldiers suffering from the plague. In a number of works commemorating this occasion, Napoleon is shown touching a victim as if to heal him, thereby aligning Bonaparte with former kings thought to possess the divine power to perform miracles.

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