Jacques-Louis David: Portrait of Pope Pius VII and Cardinal Caprara (1805)

(Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, USA)

A nice portrait of pope Pius VII and Cardinal Caprara, the French papal legate. Pius VII was the pope during Napoleon and his stressfull relationship with him. Both Pius VII and cardinal Caprara were present during he coronation of Napoleon as emperor and David depicted them on his onumental Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine of 1804. David thought it worthwhile to record how the Pope looked in this stressful moment (pius VII was more or less forced by Napoleon te be present at the coronation, although he played no part in the entire ceremony), so he excerpted the figures from the larger canvas and repeated them on this painting. Painting from 1805.