Marchand, Louis-Joseph Marchand. Capriccio view of a Napoleonic triumphal arch and buildings. Profile sketch of Emperor Napoleon verso. Ink on paper, with circular watermark depicting a bust of Napoleon in classical garb and the inscription:

“Empereur des Francais et Roi d’Italie”. Framed and glazed to both sides. Image measures 18.5 cm × 30 cm.

A rare and evocative souvenir of Napoleon’s fateful journey to Saint Helena, drawn on official notepaper by his valet Louis Marchand.

The architectural ensemble depicted in the picture is redolent of Napoleonic Paris, with Empire-style buildings and triumphal arch, the latter carved with a mounted figure of Napoleon topped by his crowned initial. While there are similarities to both the arc de triomphe and the Porte Saint Martin, the drawing appears to be a fantasy – all the more poignant for having been drawn after the Napoleon’s fall.

The reverse bears an inscription in pencil reading “Drawn by Marchand, Napoleon’s Valet. H.M.S. Northumb. A.M.S.” Under this is a line drawing of Napoleon’s instantly recognisable profile – almost certainly drawn on board HMS Northumberland, and possibly from life, this is signed: ‘Par Monsieur Marchand’

The provenance (as per inscription on front) to Scrope Davies suggests that the picture may have originally come from his younger brother, Samuel Decimus Davies, a midshipman serving on HMS Northumberland. Davies accompanied Napoleon to St Helena on his journey into exile and is known to have sent back a number of letters to his brother, some of which enclosed sketches depicting Napoleon on board.

These, along with other papers, letters and manuscripts, were deposited by Scrope Davies in the Pall Mall office of Barclays Bank in 1820. His deposit box was not opened until 1976. The majority of the papers, which included original manuscripts and letters by Lord Byron, were given by the Bank to the British Museum.

The later inscription on the front claiming provenance to Lieutenant Andrew Mott may be erroneous, as while Mott was involved in Napoleon’s surrender on board HMS Bellerophon he is not known to have been on HMS Northumberland at the time.