The
Devon-born Eastlake enjoyed great success with his early work
Napoleon on the Bellerophon, depicting
Napoleon on board a British warship after the
Waterloo campaign. This allowed him to travel across
Continental Europe, particularly in
Greece and then
Italy where he settled for a number of years. This work was inspired by his visit to
Athens but painted when he had settled in
Rome. Eastlake subsequently returned to Britain and in 1850 was elected
President of the Royal Academy. The work was
commissioned by the
philhellenist Earl of Guilford. Today the painting is in the collection of the
Yale Center for British Art in
New Haven, Connecticut. ==References==