Bust of the Emperor Napoleon I, 1809 (c)

One of the greatest soldiers and statesmen of history, Napoleon conquered and then reshaped Europe. He destroyed feudalism and outdated legal systems, and preserved the revolutionary principle of equality before the law, both of which influence our world today.

Around 1,200 of these marble busts were made in Carrara for public buildings in France, after the original work by Antoine-Denis Chaudet in 1804, which became the approved portrait of Napoleon.