Creative Act: “Napoleon Crossing the Alps,” 1801
Art has been an intrinsic component of humanity since time immemorial. Drawing, painting, sculpting, singing, and dancing, among other forms of art, have, in one way or another, exhibited deep cultural, emotional, and intellectual values of an individual or society. Duchamp is convinced that art generally takes three perspectives, including creative act, art coefficient, and readymade. He describes ‘the creative act’ as the act of creating art while considering the interest of both the creator of the work (artist) and the people who experience the work (posterity). He presumed that the creating act of creating art could never be attained by the artist alone, but the spectators must decipher and interpret the inner meaning of the art to bring it in contact with the external world (Duchamp, 2000). To Affirm Duchamp’s assumptions, this essay explores Jacques-Louis David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps of 1801 as an example of a creative act. The actual value of art lies beneath how the spectators understand and interpret it rather than the ideal perception of the artist.
In the 1801 art, Jacques-Louis David paints Napoleon Bonaparte, inspired by his victory at the battle of Marengo fought in Northern Italy. In the portrait, David painted Napoleon calmly astride on a horse. In the background is a sloppy terrain with a mountain on the front, especially to the left and a valley to the rare right, which is to a greater extent covered by rocks. On the immediate surrounding are rocks with writings inscribed on them. One of the clear inscriptions reads “Bonaparte.” The inscriptions confirm to the spectator that the artist’s creative act was to paint Napoleon in his victory and nothing else, thereby fostering accurate interpretation of the portrait. Therefore, David was keen to depict an equestrian scene in his painting
The attire and posture of Napoleon, as well as the position of the horse further, confirms the intention of the artist to the posterity. He paints Napoleon in heavy royal attire depicting royal authority. While his gloved right hand is holding the horse, the gloveless left-hand points into the vicinity, probably directing troops over the Alps. The horse is standing with both its forelegs raised on the air facing the alps, probably depicting war.
From the descriptions of the painting, it is evident that David struggled to represent a clear depiction of his intention. While describing the creative act, Duchamp mentions that an artist’s movement from intention to realization is marked with a chain of reactions, including series of efforts, satisfaction, and decisions (Duchamp, 2000). David consulted Napoleon on how he wishes to be depicted in the painting, which confirms Duchamp’s argument that an artist is like a mediumistic being who uses his skill beyond time and space to seek a way out to a clearing (Engle, 2016). Though his struggles extensively to realize his intention, he must wait for the spectators’ verdict for the art to gain a social value. Napoleon loved the painting and rewarded David abundantly. Nonetheless, David, as an artist, plays no role in judging his own work but must transfer his intention to the spectators through aesthetic osmosis.
In conclusion, Jacques-Louis David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps of 1801 is a perfect example of a creative act and confirms Duchamp’s argument on artists and spectators as vital end poles in art creation. Various instances confirm that the deep involvement of the artist and the spectators, especially Napoleon, in confirming the intention and the realization of that intention. The struggle that David experienced while creating the art clearly represented hos efforts to bridge the gap between his intentions and intended realization.