Glory of the Royal and Imperial Dynasties before Saint Genevieve
1812
Antoine-Jean Gros designed this celestial circle as a blueprint for the massive dome of the Panthéon in Paris, intended to glorify Napoleon by linking him to France's greatest historical kings. Notice how the figures at the top are completely upside down? That's because the final fresco was meant to be viewed from the ground looking up! In the center, angels hold a model of the church itself, while Charlemagne (top left, holding a scroll) and Napoleon (bottom right, with the 'Code Napoléon') present their legacies to Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. It's a brilliant piece of imperial propaganda, wrapping political power in divine, cloudy splendor.
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