It features a
panoramic view of the
Battle of Marengo, fought on 14 June 1800 in
Northern Italy during the
French Revolutionary Wars.
Napoleon Bonaparte led the French
Army of Italy to victory over
Austrian troops. The work combines a number of noted incidents from the battle, shown all taking place at once, including the charge of General
François Étienne de Kellermann's
cavalry and the death of
Louis Desaix. Lejeune, who was present at the battle, adds a
self-portrait of himself beside
Louis-Alexandre Berthier. The painting was displayed at the
Salon of 1801 at the
Louvre in
Paris, a
sketch for the picture having been displayed at the
Salon of 1800. It was acquired by the French state in 1861 and is now in the collection of the
Palace of Versailles. ==References==