Lot 2002 Dα

This work depicts Napoleon as victor against Tsar Alexander of Russia and Emperor Franz I of Austria at the famous Battle of Austerlitz on 2nd December 1805 handing the peace treaty that was signed on 26th December 1805 to a personification of the city of Pressburg. Napoleon compelled Austria, Venice, Istria, and Dalmatia to surrender to his newly founded Kingdom of Italy. The lion of Saint Mark is a reference to Venice, and the cowering bear in the background to Russia. The crown with a globe and cross in the lower right edge of the work and coronation scene in the centre of the stone relief refer to Napoleon's newly established empire, whereas the crown and coronation insignia on the left are a reference to the Austrian Arch Dukes and Kings. What is missing from the scene is the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, which Franz I was forced to dissolve on 6th August 1806.