Stefano Bressani

Tristan Dark Stefano Bressani Napoleon Jacques Louis David DSC4851

This gallery is a tribute to what I consider a "masterpiece of creative foolishness". When the famous sculptor Stefano Bressani asked us to realize an image for the book celebrating his first 10 years of activity, an image deeply connected to the equestrian world, we immediately thought of one of the world's most famous equestrian paitnings, Napoleon crossing the Alps, Jacques Louis David's first hommage to Napoleon Bonaparte. Besides the scissors and the top hat, Stefano Bressani's distinctive signs, the challenge was all meant to reproduce the painting in a photographic way. The very dear friends Ilario Dal Pietro and Nevio Lepre took care, respectively, of the horse bit and the headstall. As far as the horse, I chose to pay a tribute to history and use an Arabian stud (Arabian was, indeed, Napoleon's famous horse, Marengo). David's horse, in my opinion, looks more like an Andalusian one. Another difference between the two artworks resides in the light: in David's painting it comes from left, in ours it comes from right. The "craquelure" effect was put above what was intentionally left as a photographic image. We refused to give it a too much declared paiting effect in order not to hide all of its precious details.

Original image size: 69 x 46 cm (44,3 MP)
Levels: 300+


Tristan Dark Stefano Bressani Napoleon Jacques Louis David DSC4851 Head Detail
Tristan Dark Stefano Bressani Napoleon Jacques Louis David DSC4851 Horse Head Detail
Tristan Dark Stefano Bressani Napoleon Jacques Louis David DSC4851 Mane Reins Detail