4   6
The top of the Napoleonic Tavola, engraved by the engineer-ebonist Giovanardi, needing five years of work (1845-1850) to realize it. A book in wood which by images and with the masterly usage of geometry narrates the life and deeds of Napoleon the Great, gigantic
protagonist of the eighteenth century and one of the most extraordinary war-leaders of the all history. With a diameter of 120 cm., it shows in the center, framed by a garland of flowers, a medallion with First Consul Bonaparte riding his horse Marengo, followed by his aide-de-camp Rustan and the other two consuls Sieyès and Roger-Ducos, on November 6th 1799, reviewing the troops in Paris at the Champ de Mars. In the background the façade of the Military School. Four great ovals, surrounding the medallion, contain the representation of the great battles, three won and one lost, fought by the Corsican warrior: the Pyramides, Marengo, Eylau and Waterloo. Among the medallion and the four oval pictures are four triangles with the portraits of the imperial family, enriched by various symbols: Napoleon I, Josephine, Marie Louise and the king of Rome. In the four triangles, instead, which are among the frames of the battles and the circular frieze which delimits, containing it, whatever has been illustrated so far, appear the four primary cathedrals: Saint Peter in Rome, the Dome of Milan, Saint Paul in London and Notre-Dame in Paris. The images of the scenes reported by the great ebonist are the faithful reproduction of lines and colors chosen by Giovanardi among the numerous visual pieces of art produced by many painters to immortalise the deeds of Napoleon I. Going with the view toward the outside, a circle appears that embraces the all vision and it’s formed by forty events. These are depicted, each one, in a niche formed by two columns in brass engraved in a variegated design and with bases and capitals in silver; and more, forty emblems in simil-gold. In the edge of the Tavola, engraved is the ode The Fifth of May written by Alessandro Manzoni. The Tavola is
ringed by a steel hoop engraved with decorations.
The scenes, reproduced on a scale 100% are, in the text, squared by a yellow-golden border, while
every single detail, non squared, is reduced by 60%. Some other details, squared by a red border, are instead enlarged by 200%. In some cases, for encumbrance reasons or for a better prominence of the tarsia,
they are reproduced in a different scale, reported at each image.