Le prince Louis-Napoléon passant devant le front des troupes à son arrivée au Champ de Mars

This print depicts Louis-Napoléon reviewing the troops, on the spring following his coup d'état. He was to become Emperor on the month of December of the same year. Many military ceremonies had been organized in the Champ de Mars in Paris, to revive the imperial signs and values. The symbol of the eagle in particular was reintroduced in the flags and decorations, thus preparing the ground for what was to become the Second Empire.