- Portrait of Marechal Soult, Duc de Dalmatie
- B.M.482
- 19th century
- French
In 1804 Napoleon introduced the title of Marshall of the Empire. He awarded the honour to those who had supported him in his rise to power. Soult was among the original fourteen that received the distinction. In this painting Soult is shown holding the Marshal's baton, lavishly covered in blue velvet and decorated with gold eagles.
During the French invasion of Spain Soult removed treasures from palaces, cathedrals and monasteries to enrich the collections of the Musée Napoléon in Paris. It is also estimated that he amassed over 200 Spanish artworks for his own private collection.