François Gérard: Portrait of Joachim Murat (1811-12)

(Private Collection)

A painting by the French artist François Gérard (1770 – 1837). Joachim-Napoléon Murat (1767-1815) was the son of the innkeeper and postmaster Pierre Murat-Jordy and his wife Jeanne Loubières. Murat served first in the French revolutionary armies and later in the armies of Napoleon who made him a marshal in 1804. Murat almost exclusively commanded the French cavalry and was perhaps his most flamboyant general. Napoleon made Murat first grand duke of Berg and later king of Naples (the painting shows him as king of Naples). Murat married Caroline Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon, and the couple got four children. After the defeat of Napoleon at the battle of Leipzig (16–19 October 1813), tried to make a deal with the allies in an attempt to save his Neapolitan crown. When the allies showed little interest in keeping Murat as king of Naples, Murat tried to attack the Austrians but was swiftly defeated. Murat was captured by forces of King Ferdinand IV of Naples and sentenced to death by firing squad. Painting from 1811-1812.