When I first saw it, I recognized the figure as Napoleon (albeit a tall well-muscled version of him). I thought the figure he held in his right hand was Tinkerbell. It was an unusual combination and inspired me to do a little research.
(Bronze copy of Napoleon in Milan’s Brera Museum)
The work’s title is: “Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker”. It represents a huge athletic Napoleon holding a staff in his left hand and a Nike (Victory) resting on an orb in his right hand. The original was crafted in marble by Canova, at Napoleon’s insistence. The sculpture was completed in 1806 but it did not meet with Napoleon’s approval as it was “too athletic”. He banned the public from seeing it. The original made its way to the British Government and was moved to the stairwell at Apsley House, where it remains to this day.
(The original Napoleon by Canova, London. Courtesy Jörg Bittner Unna and Wikimedia)
A bronze copy of the statue was cast in Rome and since 1859 it has stood in the courtyard of Palazzo Brera in Milan, where it remains to this day.
So, it’s not Tinkerbell but a Nike.
