Portrait of General Maurice-Étienne Gérard

1816
Oil on canvas
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Purchase, Rogers and Fletcher Funds, and Mary Wetmore Shively Bequest, in memory of her husband, Henry L. Shively, M.D., 1965

This is one of only two full-length portraits David painted during his years in exile. A man of humble birth, General Gérard had achieved his position in Napoleon's army through merit rather than through family connections, and he may have wanted his portrait to emphasize the fact that his status equaled that of aristocratic courtiers like the Comte de Turenne. The grandiose conception is softened by a rich palette and vibrant brushwork, especially apparent in the red drape.

Portrait of Comte Henri-Amédé de Turenne

1816
Oil on canvas
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts

Portrait of Zénaïde and
Charlotte Bonaparte

1821
Oil on canvas
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Napoleon's nieces, Zénaïde, in black, and Charlotte, in pale blue, are posed on a red velvet sofa. Zénaïde holds up a letter from their father, Joseph, who was forced into exile and fled to Philadelphia following the collapse of the Empire. Charlotte seems more timid than her sister; she leans forward to place an arm around Zénaïde's waist as she tries to read the note over her sister's shoulder. The Napoleonic bees embroidered on the sofa and the golden diadems that both girls wear establish their imperial pedigree.

Portrait of François-Antoine Rasse de Gavre

1816
Oil on canvas
Private collection, courtesy of Richard L. Feigen & Co.

The sitter's father may have commissioned this portrait from David out of sympathy for the exiled painter. The boy was sixteen years old when the portrait was painted, and although his clothes are elegant and stylish, his untidy hair and his wispy moustache hint at his youth.