Skip to the letter

Atlas·Plate

Atlas plate · Italian campaign, 1796

From the Italian Campaign

He writes from the Italian campaign in a fever of need.

From one shore toward the other. A path of relation, not a lineage.

From

Milan

Between

ambition, a tent, the work of making himself necessary

Toward

Paris

Placement is approximate where the record is not a surveyor.

From
Milan, in the Italian campaign of 1796
Toward
Paris, where Joséphine remains
Between
the Alps, an army, the first fame
Distance
about 640 km of campaign and hunger
Obstacle
ambition, a tent, the work of making himself necessary
Beloved
Joséphine
Time apart
the months after a March wedding
Message delay
letters that arrive as commands as much as love
What stands between them
an army, and a possessiveness that should not be mistaken for devotion

Read the story