Revealed, Before Dying In Exile, Napoleon Tried To Save His 'Legacy'

Napoleon Bonaparte's painting. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - As the bicentennial anniversary of Napoleon Bonaparte's death draws near, an exhibition at Les Invalides in Paris, France, highlights his death in exile and his efforts to save his legacy as a military genius and visionary leader.

Expelled by the British to the rat-infested island of Saint Helena in the south Atlantic, Napoleon, surrounded by close confidants, wrote his memoir titled 'Napoleon is no more', according to historian Lea Charliquart, who co-curated the exhibition.

"Napoleon may have drowned into oblivion. However, he used this exile to write his story. (He) turned himself into a martyr. He became almost holy," Charliquart said.

Died on May 5, 1821 at the age of 51, Napoleon's figure in the eyes of the crowd was divided into two opposing sides. On the one hand, he is a figure of a commander who is known to have succeeded in building a vast empire, including building a modern centralized state in France.

But on the other hand, not a few people saw him as a tyrannical ruler before finally surrendering to the British at Waterloo.

Napoleon Bonaparte's painting. (Wikimedia Commons / Belvedere by Kunsthistorisches Museum)

Among the more than 200 artifacts featured in this exhibition, there is an oil painting of the pale-faced Napoleon lying on a pillow, his eyes closed, hands resting on his stomach and his sword by his side.

There was also his deathbed, a plain military iron bed that was probably meant to symbolize that the former emperor was a soldier to the end.

"Napoleon wants to be remembered as the emperor who died thousands of kilometers from France on a small volcanic rock. Obviously that's a better view than dying in custody in a musty house," Charliquart said.

Buried in Saint Helena at the request of the British, Napoleon actually wanted him to be buried on the banks of the Seine, among the people of France who were very loved.

Nearly two decades later, his body was exhumed in very well preserved condition.

"This episode completes the legend. It was as if Napoleon was so strong that he could overcome the forces of nature," said Charliquart.

Unfortunately, even though May 5 is approaching, this exhibition is not yet open to the public, due to the restrictions on the corona virus pandemic set by the French Government.