Study for Distribution of Eagles, Prince Eugène de Beauharnais

The Study for Distribution of Eagles, Prince Eugène de Beauharnais by Jacques-Louis David French, 1748-1825, provides vital insight into the artist’s demanding work for the Napoleonic regime during the height of the First French Empire (1805-1815). This preliminary piece is related to David’s unrealized monumental commission, the Distribution of the Eagles, which commemorated the 1804 military ceremony where Napoleon I presented regiments with new standards crowned with Imperial eagles, symbolizing loyalty, authority, and the establishment of the new dynasty in France.

This complex Drawing is executed using pen and brown ink on off-white laid paper, which was subsequently edge-mounted onto cream wove paper. This exacting medium allows David to rapidly explore composition, intricate costume details, and the dramatic arrangement of figures necessary for such a large-scale history painting. The specific focus on Prince Eugène de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s stepson and a crucial military commander, highlights the political importance and intended grandeur of the final subject matter.

As the official Premier Peintre (First Painter) of the Emperor, David was responsible for generating imagery that merged classical idealism with state propaganda, establishing the legitimacy of the Imperial rule. Although the final canvas was never completed, this extant study demonstrates the Neoclassical master’s meticulous preparation and ability to translate political spectacle into art. This historically significant work is housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, and its influential composition remains widely studied through public domain access and reproductions used for art prints globally.