THE FRIGATE “LA MUIRON” LANDING AT AJACCIO WITH BONAPARTE IN OCTOBER 1799
The plate painted by Jean-François Robert after engraving “View of Ajaccio in Corsica” from Vivant Denon’s “Voyage dans la haute et la basse Egypte”.
In his book, Denon gives a precise account of this episode in the return from Egypt, remarkable for the fact that it was to be Napoleon’s last visit to his island birthplace, before heading on shortly afterwards to Fréjus:
“Corsica at length offered us the first sight of a friendly shore, and a brisk wind brought us to Ajaccio, where we sent in a boat to gain the latest intelligence concerning France, and to enquire whether there were any hostile squadrons on our coasts. While we were lying to for the boat, a sudden squall obliged us to come to anchor in the gulf, in the native country of Bonaparte. He was thought to have been lost, when chance thus brought him home: nothing could be more touching than the reception that he experienced; the batteries saluted on all sides; the whole population rushed to the boats and surrounded our boats. I looked everywhere for Madame Bonaparte. I pictured the emotion, the tears, the immense happiness of a mother suddenly finding her son returned to her, and what a son! But when I learned that she was not in Ajaccio, this brilliant reception became to my eyes just pride and noise, and I set about making a sketch of the fine scene.”