In order to glorify his reign through propaganda, Napoleon utilised, among other sources, iconography. In particular, the images which he conceived or whose diffusion he favoured concentrated on his grandeur; the republican general turned emperor encouraged works that showcased his military acumen, his courage, or his scientific approach to combat or, by contrast, images that highlighted his magnanimous and peaceful nature. He thus became, ‘the father of his people’, like the monarchs of the Old Order, alternately the attentive and benevolent father of the family or its military leader. These images constantly edified, constructed, and reinvented his authority; they made explicit his ‘brilliant’ persona, but, as well, the state he led.