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At first glance, much of Louis-François Lejeune's work seems like a chronology of Napoleon Bonaparte's campaigns, and a closer look reveals the connection to his biography. Born in Strasbourg in absolutist France, art quickly gained his interest, influenced by his father, a musician. Thus he was trained as an artist by Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes in Paris. However, the French Revolution, which then spread mainly in the French capital, soon marked a break in his life when, at the age of seventeen, he joined the revolutionaries and turned to a military career. From that moment on, his life passed between art and war; as a painter he received praise and recognition, and in the French army of the new Emperor Napoléon he rose quickly, becoming adjutant, captain, and finally officer. In recognition, Napoléon elevated him to the peerage. He also experienced the army's setbacks in Russia, was wounded, and left the army in 1813, a year before the end of the war and France's final defeat.
Lejeune processed his experiences in the numerous battles in his paintings, which were also highly appreciated by Napoléon himself; among them are depictions of the battles of Marengo, Austerlitz and Somosierra. As works by an eyewitness, the paintings offer a rare perspective and also suggest the artist's point of view. For example, the French soldiers are portrayed more positively than their enemies, who often fled the onslaught of Napoléon's troops. The emperor himself is equally glorified; he is often found at the center of the paintings, a commanding general, confident and at peace in the thick of battle. Lejeune provides a romanticized depiction of the Napoleonic wars, showing his role as a staunch advocate of the emperor's ideas: it is not surprising that Napoleon appreciated him not only for his efforts in war, but also for his artwork.
But even the end of Napoléon's reign did not diminish Louis Lejeune's reputation. He rejoined the army under King Louis XVIII, received numerous medals and married the daughter of a general. Lejeune gained further fame as the person who made the then new technique of lithography known in France when he learned about the printing technique from the inventor Alois Senefelder in Munich. Whether this fame is justified is not known, but Lejeune certainly profited from it, published his memoirs, which were enthusiastically received, and in Toulouse he became director of an art school and eventually mayor. Louis Lejeune, who had fought so many battles and survived wounds, died of a heart attack at the age of 73.
At first glance, much of Louis-François Lejeune's work seems like a chronology of Napoleon Bonaparte's campaigns, and a closer look reveals the connection to his biography. Born in Strasbourg in absolutist France, art quickly gained his interest, influenced by his father, a musician. Thus he was trained as an artist by Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes in Paris. However, the French Revolution, which then spread mainly in the French capital, soon marked a break in his life when, at the age of seventeen, he joined the revolutionaries and turned to a military career. From that moment on, his life passed between art and war; as a painter he received praise and recognition, and in the French army of the new Emperor Napoléon he rose quickly, becoming adjutant, captain, and finally officer. In recognition, Napoléon elevated him to the peerage. He also experienced the army's setbacks in Russia, was wounded, and left the army in 1813, a year before the end of the war and France's final defeat.
Lejeune processed his experiences in the numerous battles in his paintings, which were also highly appreciated by Napoléon himself; among them are depictions of the battles of Marengo, Austerlitz and Somosierra. As works by an eyewitness, the paintings offer a rare perspective and also suggest the artist's point of view. For example, the French soldiers are portrayed more positively than their enemies, who often fled the onslaught of Napoléon's troops. The emperor himself is equally glorified; he is often found at the center of the paintings, a commanding general, confident and at peace in the thick of battle. Lejeune provides a romanticized depiction of the Napoleonic wars, showing his role as a staunch advocate of the emperor's ideas: it is not surprising that Napoleon appreciated him not only for his efforts in war, but also for his artwork.
But even the end of Napoléon's reign did not diminish Louis Lejeune's reputation. He rejoined the army under King Louis XVIII, received numerous medals and married the daughter of a general. Lejeune gained further fame as the person who made the then new technique of lithography known in France when he learned about the printing technique from the inventor Alois Senefelder in Munich. Whether this fame is justified is not known, but Lejeune certainly profited from it, published his memoirs, which were enthusiastically received, and in Toulouse he became director of an art school and eventually mayor. Louis Lejeune, who had fought so many battles and survived wounds, died of a heart attack at the age of 73.
.jpg "The Battle of Marengo, 14th June 1800, 1801 by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "The Battle of the Pyramids, 21 July 1798 by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "Battle of Moscow, 7th September 1812 by Louis Lejeune")
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_(7_September_1812)_(oil_on_canvas_-_(MeisterDrucke-951049).jpg "Battle of Moskova (also Battle of Borodino) (7 September 1812) by Louis Lejeune")
_(7_September_1812)_(oil_on_canvas_-_(MeisterDrucke-951049).jpg)
.jpg "The Battle of Marengo, June 14 by Louis Lejeune")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-39410).jpg "Battle of Mount Thabor, 16th April 1799 (detail) by Louis Lejeune")
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 and his staff c1804 - (MeisterDrucke-61522).jpg "The Battle of Lodi, 10th May 1796 (detail) by Louis Lejeune")
 and his staff c1804 - (MeisterDrucke-61522).jpg)
.jpg "Battle of the Pyramids, 21st July 1798 by Louis Lejeune")
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 Visiting a Bivouac on the Eve of the Battle of Austerlitz 1st December 1805 1808 - (MeisterDrucke-113063).jpg "Napoleon Visiting a Bivouac on the Eve of the Battle of Austerlitz, 1st December 1805 by Louis Lejeune")
 Visiting a Bivouac on the Eve of the Battle of Austerlitz 1st December 1805 1808 - (MeisterDrucke-113063).jpg)
 and his Major 1801 (see also 28336) - (MeisterDrucke-57383).jpg "The Battle of Marengo (detail) by Louis Lejeune")
 and his Major 1801 (see also 28336) - (MeisterDrucke-57383).jpg)
.jpg "Battle of Somosierra, November 30th 1808 by Louis Lejeune")
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 and his Major 1801 (detail of 153773) - (MeisterDrucke-54316).jpg "The Battle of Marengo, (detail) by Louis Lejeune")
 and his Major 1801 (detail of 153773) - (MeisterDrucke-54316).jpg)
 - (MeisterDrucke-68132).jpg "Battle of Mount Thabor, 16th April 1799 (detail) by Louis Lejeune")
 - (MeisterDrucke-68132).jpg)
.jpg "The Battle of Chiclana, 5th March 1811, 1824 by Louis Lejeune")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-40168).jpg "Battle of the Pyramids, 21st July 1798 (detail) by Louis Lejeune")
 - (MeisterDrucke-40168).jpg)
.jpg "The Battle of Aboukir, 25th July 1799 by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "Attack on a Large Convoy at Salinas, Biscay, 25th May 1812 by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "The Battle of Aboukir, 25th July 1799 by Louis Lejeune")
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_the_Battle_of_Somosierra_the_30111808_Painting_b_-_(MeisterDrucke-948221).jpg "The Battle of Somosierra by Louis Lejeune")
_the_Battle_of_Somosierra_the_30111808_Painting_b_-_(MeisterDrucke-948221).jpg)
.jpg "Napoleon Bonaparte giving orders during the Battle of Lodi by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "General Lejeune captured and stripped naked by Spanish guerilla troops, is rescued by Don Juan Padalea (")
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_Battle_of_Chiclana_near_C_-_(MeisterDrucke-971002).jpg "Napoleonic Campaign of Spain and Portugal: Battle of Chiclana, near Cadiz, May 5 by Louis Lejeune")
_Battle_of_Chiclana_near_C_-_(MeisterDrucke-971002).jpg)
 Giving Orders at the Battle of Lodi 10th May 1796 c1804 - (MeisterDrucke-69694).jpg "General Bonaparte Giving Orders at the Battle of Lodi by Louis Lejeune")
 Giving Orders at the Battle of Lodi 10th May 1796 c1804 - (MeisterDrucke-69694).jpg)
.jpg "Battle of the Pyramids, detail of the Rout of the Mameluke Cavaliers by Louis Lejeune")
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_assault_of_the_monastery_of_San_Engraci_-_(MeisterDrucke-1021467).jpg "Siege and capture of Zaragoza: assault of the monastery of San Engracia on February 8 by Louis Lejeune")
_assault_of_the_monastery_of_San_Engraci_-_(MeisterDrucke-1021467).jpg)
.jpg "Equestrian self portrait, 1806-08 by Louis Lejeune")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-41522).jpg "Battle of Mount Thabor, 16th April 1799, 1808 (detail) by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "The French Army Crossing the Rhine at Dusseldorf, 6th September 1795 by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "The Battle of Guisando by Louis Lejeune")
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 Tending the Wounded - (MeisterDrucke-216996).jpg "Baron Jean Dominique Larrey Tending the Wounded at the Battle of Moscow, 7th September 1812 by Louis Lejeune")
 Tending the Wounded - (MeisterDrucke-216996).jpg)
.jpg "General Bonaparte gives his orders to the battle of the bridge of Lodi (10 May 1796) during the first campaign of Italy by Louis Lejeune")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1427987).jpg "Battle of Lodi (1796) by Louis Lejeune")
_-_(MeisterDrucke-1427987).jpg)
.jpg "Bivouac of Napoleon I on the eve of the Battle of Austerlitz on 1 December 1805 by Louis Lejeune")
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_of_Egypt_(1798-1801)_The_Battle_of_the_Pyramids_July_21_-_(MeisterDrucke-1029401).jpg "Campaign of Egypt (1798-1801): The Battle of the Pyramids, July 21 by Louis Lejeune")
_of_Egypt_(1798-1801)_The_Battle_of_the_Pyramids_July_21_-_(MeisterDrucke-1029401).jpg)
.jpg "Assault on the Monastery of San Engracio in Zaragoza, 8th February 1809 by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "The Battle of the Pyramids, July 21 by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "Battle of Moskova by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "The Battle of the Somo Sierra Pass in Castile by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "Entry of Charles X into Paris after the coronation on 6/06/1825 by Louis Lejeune")
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_of_Egypt_(1798-1801)_The_Battle_of_Aboukir_(July_25_-_(MeisterDrucke-960795).jpg "Campaign of Egypt (1798-1801): The Battle of Aboukir (July 25) by Louis Lejeune")
_of_Egypt_(1798-1801)_The_Battle_of_Aboukir_(July_25_-_(MeisterDrucke-960795).jpg)
.jpg "First passage of the Rhine by the French army commanded by Jourdan and Kleber, at Dusseldorf in the Duche of Berg, September 6 by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "The Battle of the Pyramids, July 21 by Louis Lejeune")
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_of_Egypt_(1798-1801)_Battle_of_Mount_Thabor_April_16_-_(MeisterDrucke-1023410).jpg "Campaign of Egypt (1798-1801):")
_of_Egypt_(1798-1801)_Battle_of_Mount_Thabor_April_16_-_(MeisterDrucke-1023410).jpg)
_of_Egypt_(1798-1801)_The_Battle_of_the_Pyramids_July_21_-_(MeisterDrucke-1029403).jpg "Campaign of Egypt (1798-1801): The Battle of the Pyramids, July 21 by Louis Lejeune")
_of_Egypt_(1798-1801)_The_Battle_of_the_Pyramids_July_21_-_(MeisterDrucke-1029403).jpg)
.jpg "The Battle of the Pyramids, July 21 by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "Napoleon Bonaparte giving orders during the Battle of Lodi by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "Campaign by Louis Lejeune")
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.jpg "Russian Campaign by Louis Lejeune")
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