Portrait of Pope Pius VII and Cardinal Caprara

Currently not on view

Portrait of Pope Pius VII and Cardinal Caprara

1808 or later

Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748–1825)

In late 1804 Napoleon forced Pope Pius VII to travel to Paris in order to preside over his coronation. This double portrait shows the Pope, his hand raised in blessing, with the French papal legate Cardinal Caprara standing at his side. David depicted these two figures in the same poses in his monumental Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine of 1804-7 (versions in the Louvre Museum and in the palace at Versailles). The artist thought it worthwhile to record how the Pope looked in this stressful moment, so he excerpted the figures from the larger canvas and repeated them on this panel.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Portrait of Pope Pius VII and Cardinal Caprara

Date:

1808 or later

Artist:

Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748–1825)

Medium:

Oil on panel

Dimensions:

54 3/8 x 37 3/4 inches (138.1 x 96 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Gift of Henry P. McIlhenny, 1971

Accession Number:

1971-265-1

Geography:

Made in France, Europe

Provenance

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Currently not on view