Napoleon rides into Anaheim

Napoleon I in his coronation robe, c1804 Baron Francois Pascal Simon Gerard

A rare exhibit of his treasures makes its West Coast premiere.
By RICHARD CHANG, The Orange County Register, Monday, October 12, 2009

Pierre-Jean Chalençon started his obsession with Napoleon when he was 7 years old.

The Frenchman’s father gave him a Superman comic book. When little Pierre expressed his amazement at the Man of Steel’s feats, his father told him, “Superman was not real. Napoleon was real.”

That’s when the fascination with Napoleon started.

When Chalençon was 12, his mother gave him an 1815 poster warning of Napoleon’s return to France after he escaped from captivity on Elba Island.

When he was 17, Chalençon sold his motor scooter to buy Napoleon’s letter announcing victory against the Prussians at the Battle of Jena in 1806.

Since then, Chalençon - a Napoleon scholar, collector and university lecturer - has amassed one of the most impressive Napoleon collections in the world, with more than 500 original objects.

“I am the Indiana Jones of Napoleon,” chuckled Chalençon, 39, whose frizzy blond hair, sunglasses and jewelry make him look like he just stepped out of the 1970s. “I’m like Sherlock Holmes. I’m ready to go 24 hours a day to find something.”

Through Jan. 8, Muzeo in Anaheim is presenting Chalençon’s rich and inimitable collection. “Treasures of Napoléon” is the largest exhibition of Napoleon-related objects to hit the West Coast.

It’s also the biggest exhibition to date at the two-year-old Muzeo, which used to be the Anaheim Museum.

The show includes many Napoleonic items of interest: the earliest-known letter composed in his hand; the gilded bronze sword used to proclaim him emperor of the French empire; the valise that brought him the signed Louisiana Purchase documents from America; his personal map of the French empire, dating from 1812; the clothes, including long johns, he wore soon before his death; and the first will he wrote during exile on St. Helena Island.

“From a Muzeo perspective, it’s our most elaborate, important show, given the pieces on display,” said Peter Comiskey, executive director of Muzeo. “There are some pretty amazing artefacts on view. Plus, it ties into the curriculum for students in our area very well.”

As a special educator incentive, Muzeo is offering free admission to school classes for the duration of the exhibit.

BACKGROUND ON NAPOLEON

Napolione di Buonaparte was born to Italian parents in 1769 on the island of Corsica. “He was an immigrant,” Chalençon said. “He had a strong accent.”

He attended military college in France and became a successful soldier and officer. At this time, he changed his name to the more French-sounding Napoleon Bonaparte.

By the age of 26, he was a triumphant general, conquering Italy. His aggressive campaigns transformed warfare and changed the political face of Europe.

In 1799, Napoleon seized power in a coup d’état, becoming First Consul of the Republic. He was only 30.

At 35, he crowned himself emperor of the French, ruling 70 million people.

While he had limitless ambition and was reviled by many, Napoleon granted minority rights in many lands, reorganized outdated governments of the French empire into streamlined, efficient administrations, and championed art and artists.

He instituted a system of civil law known as the Napoleonic code, which is still used in France and much of Western Europe today. It’s believed to be the basis of Louisiana state law as well.

After his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena, a barren island in the South Pacific. He died in 1821 at age 52.

WORKS OF ART - AND THEN SOME

The exhibit “Treasures of Napoléon” features dozens of objects that surrounded Napoleon when he was a general, First Consul, emperor and an exile. The show includes paintings, some commissioned by Napoleon and others done during and shortly after his time.

Napoleon Crossing the Alps, by Jacques-Louis David (circa 1801-05)

The oil on canvas, “Napoleon Crossing the Alps” (circa 1801-05), is an iconic image. It was done by Jean Baptiste Mauzaisse, a student of the great Jacques-Louis David.

“Portrait of Napoleon I in Coronation Robe” (c. 1805-10) is a gold-framed oil on canvas by François Gérard that portrays a supremely confident Napoleon with a gold laurel crown on his head, reminiscent of a Roman emperor.

A large marble bust of the emperor, done by Antonio Canova around 1810, is also on display. The bust was in the collection of Louis-Philippe, king of France between 1830 and 1848, and suffered major damage during a British bombing campaign in World War II.

“Treasures” includes maps, books and other documents owned by Napoleon, along with silverware, his modest camp bed from the Battle of Wagram, toiletries, a gold snuffbox and a wooden tea-box.

“I think this exhibition is very interesting, because it shows not just a piece of art, but it shows how this guy was living,” Chalençon said. “Like you, like me, he wore underwear. He becomes a human guy. For six years, he lived at St. Helena. It’s good to show that he was not all the time at war.”

The show ends with one of Napoleon’s grand blue hats, an 1805 summer model that was worn in the 1809 Battle of Essling. It’s displayed with Napoleon’s Legion of Honor sash.

SPOTLIGHT ON A LOCAL COLLECTOR

In the older, original Carnegie building of Muzeo (once the downtown Anaheim Public Library), French works from the collection of Anaheim Hills resident Dr. Howard Knohl are on view. The paintings, clocks and personal effects from the first and second French empires - which include Napoleon’s reign - coincide with the “Treasures of Napoléon” exhibit, housed in the newer building next door.

Highlights from this collection include a realistic, unromanticized oil portrait, “Napoleon Crossing the Alps” (c. 1848-50) by Paul Delaroche; “Death at Saragossa” (1895), an oil on canvas by Harold Piffard; and “Napoleon Rendant Visite Aux Blesses,” an oil on canvas by Paul Emile Boutigny.

Knohl has also collected hand-painted match boxes and delicately painted cigar, or cheroot, holders. These are on view in a stand-alone case.

“I love history,” said Knohl, 72. “It started with books in the mid-‘80s and expanded with art. Contemporary art may go up or down, but this kind of art never goes down in value.”

Joyce Franklin, director of exhibitions and programs for Muzeo, said showing Knohl’s artworks is a rare chance for Orange County residents to see the Delaroche painting (only two like it in the world have survived) and other precious pieces in a private, local collection.

Combined with “Treasures of Napoleon,” both exhibits represent a unique opportunity to explore an important period in French history and art. Plus, through the end of the year, Muzeo is offering craft workshops, demonstrations, a fashion show and other events to learn about Napoleon and his legacy. Visit muzeo.org for details.