Napoleon and His Army Effecting a Wonderful Passage of the Alps, at Mount St. Bernard

Napoleon on his characteristic white horse is at the forefront of this image, which depicts the French army’s early attempt to cross the Alps. Other men, who are both on horseback and on foot, surround him. At the end of the visible portion of the procession are men tugging at something that is not included in the print. Beyond this group of men is a river and the Alps. Seemingly endlessly trailing up the Alps are Napoleon’s troops. These men slowly fade from the visible and individual to a unified blur. The only visible trees are in the upper right-hand corner of the image behind a series of crags.

This image is a clear representation of the romantic theme of the sublime. Mountains are a motif of the sublime due to the wonder in the viewer they inspire. The layout of the engraving makes it is impossible to see where the mountains end. Moreover, it is impossible to see where the trail of soldiers ends. This invokes a sense of mystery and subsequently fear, for the viewer is unable to see conclusively where the men are headed.

William Henry Ireland’s account of Napoleon Bonaparte's passage of the Alps is a strikingly positive depiction. It is described as a “singular instance of military enthusiasm,” and “was crowned with complete success” (W. Ireland, Life of Napoleon 64). The purpose of the passage was to initiate a surprise attack against the Austrians. According to Ireland, “The Austrians were driven from their batteries, the Piedmontese army lost all spirit of resistance, and the people of Italy, as if awakening from a dream of many ages at the cry of liberty, aided the arms of France, by overturning the government of their respective sovereigns” (W. Ireland, Life of Napoleon Bonaparte 64). The results of Napoleon’s military decisiveness were substantial: “This sudden attack turned the balance in favour of the French; the Austrian artillery was carried; their order of battle broken up; and terror, dismay, and slaughter were apparent in every direction." It ultimately "amounted to nearly three thousand in killed, wounded, and prisoners” (W. Ireland, Life of Napoleon Bonaparte 65). In a letter Bonaparte sent to the French directory, he was highly complimentary of his own military excellence. He wrote “If we have lost few men, this fortunate circumstance is due to the prompt execution and the sudden effect produced on the enemy’s forces by the immense masses rushing forward, and likewise to the dreadful fire of our invincible column. Were I called upon the designate the soldiers who have distinguished themselves in this battle, I should be obliged to name every carabineer of the advanced guard and nearly all the staff-officers” (qtd. W. Ireland, Life of Napoleon Bonaparte 66). Toward the end of the letter, Napoleon does show some appreciation for his troops; however, it is not nearly as flattering as the valor he attributes to his own work.

Because the source of this image is a biography of Napoleon, one would presume the accompanying images to have historical accuracy. However, this image transforms the crossing of the Alps into something “wonderful,” as evidenced by the caption. Historical record, on the other hand, characterizes the passage as nearly impossible.

The significance to romantic aesthetics is very clear in this image. A mountain range, the Alps, forms the backdrop of the image. This is an archetypal romantic feature, for mountains were “seen as able to inspire the purity and realization of a better life” (L. Egendorf, Romanticism 42). One predominant characteristic of Romanticism is the desire for a return to nature. Mountains were considered a means to do so, for they provided the epitome of solitude. Additionally, they were void of materialism, which was heavily criticized by the romantics. Because the image depicts Napoleon on the brink of crossing the Alps, a hidden political agenda is revealed. By successfully crossing the Alps, and characterizing the passage as “wonderful,” a political agenda in favor of the Napoleonic Wars is exposed with the implication that Napoleon could offer a better life.