by Mauro Corradini

“ Appiani committed himself very much to carrying out his work Fasti and he inquired about the works of the Trajan Pillar, the battles of Raphael, of Giulio Romano and those of Le Brun and, without any plagiarism, he depicted their spirit and enthusiasm. The man, who has a lot of means to carry out his plans, is bold in his conceptions. The attention, paid on other people's works, lets him compare them with his action and gives him advice, but the ingenious man examines and never copies”. The painter-engraver Giuseppe Beretta, who has engraved with the burin the strong-willed but not arrogant profile of Appiani, with the above introduces the section which regards the series of paintings dedicated to the wartime exploits of Napoleon (The Splendour), of which the engravings are the printed transcriptions. The frieze is composed by 39 paintings, destroyed during the last World War in the bombardments of the Real Palace and it was carried out by Appiani between 1803 (perhaps some years before) and 1807, among a wider decorative collection, which hang on many halls of the Palace. The frieze was inaugurated by the Emperor himself in his last and quick visit in Milan, at the beginning of 1808. The years passed at Real Palace were those in which Appiani was in high favour with the Emperor, who appointed him “notre premier peintre” in 1805, on 7 th June (more or less in the middle of the series).