The National Gallery of Victoria has closed Napoleon: Revolution to Empire after a final weekend of celebrations which saw art-lovers queuing throughout the night to view over 300 spectacular works from the renowned French Emperors reign.
It is estimated thousands of visitors came through the doors between 10am Saturday, 6 October and 5pm Sunday, 7 October, tallying the attendance figure for this year’s Melbourne Winter Masterpieces at 188,729.
Napoleon: Revolution to Empire was a well-received exhibition and the NGV is proud to have brought such a remarkable collection of works to Australian audiences.
Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine completely transformed life in Europe in the early 19th century, as they reinvigorated the arts and culture, and were leaders in the Age of Exploration, fascinated by the newly discovered Australia.
Sections of the exhibition were devoted to Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign, his subsequent victory at the Battle of Marengo, his coronation as Emperor of France and his exile to St Helena following his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
The exhibition also explored the enormous cultural and scientific contact between Australia and France from the 1770s to the 1820s, of which visitors found particularly fascinating.
The final attendance figure of 188,729 compares well to previous years, confirming that there is a healthy appetite for blockbuster style exhibitions and we are pleased that it was such a success.
The 2013 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition will be announced later this year.
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