# The revelation of the imperial commission at the 1868 Salon

The propaganda of political power takes root even before the birth of the prince, since it is used as early as Napoleon III to improve his representations.

Just as the portrait depends on the artist, who obeys the commissioner, the portrait's distribution is facilitated when a powerful family requests it. This portrait, which delighted the imperial couple with a representation of their only child, was made public at the 1868 Salon, four years after its conception.

Since the 18th century, the "Salons" have been exhibition venues for members of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. They take place in the square salon of the Louvre.

The model presented here is just one example of the impact the statue had at this event. Several copies were commissioned, including this bust made at the request of the town of Valenciennes, the artist's birthplace.

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Le Prince Impérial, 1865,
plaster, h.63,5cm, Valenciennes, Musée des Beaux-Arts
credit: (C) GrandPalaisRmn / Franck Raux