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Archive photograph of the previous version: bronze statue of Napoleon standing, in greatcoat and bicorne, cannonballs at his feet.

Previous version1833

Bronze Napoleon in bicorne and greatcoat open over a round belly, blue joggers, hands in pockets, electronic tag on the ankle and a ball at his feet.

Current version2026

Charles-Émile Seurre, Napoleon as the Little Corporal, Les Invalides, Paris

Photo: gadgetdude, “Napoleon Bonaparte Statue” (Flickr), via Wikimedia Commons, resizedLicence CC BY 2.0Image source

Acc. no. GLI.2026.010 110

Napoleon I

Emperor of the French; by 1811, master of continental Europe.

At the GLiTCH Museum, Department of Contemporary Antiquities.

Bronze, fleece jersey, electronic tag, cast-iron ball.

Next version Bronze. Tracksuit bottoms, made to measure.

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Catalogue entry

Record GLI.2026.010
Work 10 of 13

Materials depicted
Bronze, fleece jersey, electronic tag, cast-iron ball.
Provenance
Longwood House, Saint Helena. Electronic monitoring applied retrospectively.
Condition report
Good. Tag battery charged. Do not leave the perimeter.
Related work
Charles-Émile Seurre, Napoleon as the ‘Little Corporal’, 1833, Hôtel des Invalides, Paris.

Commentary

Defeated at Waterloo on 18 June 1815, Napoleon surrendered to the British, who banished him to Saint Helena. Landing on 17 October 1815, he moved in December to Longwood House, where he died on 5 May 1821.

Sentries surrounded the estate. Morning and evening, a British officer had to confirm that he was still there and report to the Governor.

From October 1818, the Emperor walked in his garden in a dressing gown and a madras headscarf. The Empire ended in loungewear.

Previous version

Charles-Émile Seurre, Napoleon as the Little Corporal, 1833, bronze, Les Invalides, Paris. The cannonballs have been at his feet since 1833.

Photo: gadgetdude, “Napoleon Bonaparte Statue” (Flickr), via Wikimedia Commons, resizedLicence CC BY 2.0Image source

See both versions
References3 references

Digital composition by Aël, updated with the help of artificial intelligence. Glitch: original.