Napoleon's missing hand, explained

Napoleon Bonaparte was often depicted concealing a hand inside his shirt. Why?
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Napoleon Bonaparte is one of history’s most famous figures and has been depicted in countless portraits. Often, paintings show him with one hand concealed inside his shirt. The gesture is a common feature of caricatures and impressions of the conqueror, and its frequent appearance has led to speculation about why he seemed to do it so often.
The answer is rooted in the gesture’s history. Concealing a hand in one’s coat has long signified gentlemanly restraint, and was often associated with nobility. It goes as far back as ancient Greece, when famed orator Aeschines claimed that restricting the movement of one’s hand was the proper way to speak in public.
Portraits of Napoleon adopting this pose are an example of propaganda - the most famous version being Jacques-Louis David’s 1812 painting of Napoleon in his study. It portrays the ruler as a modest and hardworking leader, even though outside of France Napoleon was often labeled a tyrant and considered to be ill-tempered. The hand-in-waistcoat gesture became a common way to depict him during his lifetime and long after he died.
The pose also became a portraiture cliché with the advent of photography, thanks to its dignified reputation - and because it was a good way to sit still during the long exposure times of early photography.
Further reading:
Re-dressing Classical Statuary: The Eighteenth-Century "Hand-in-Waistcoat" Portrait, by Arline Meyer
www.jstor.org/stable/3046079?...
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[@TheAllarie]

The sharpie on the book is sparking my anxiety

[@Bas_Lightyear]

Was just about to comment this! Was there really any need to draw all over the book?! Even for the sake of a video..

[@roderickbraganca]

i was just going to comment that.

[@fether835]

hopefully it was erasable or my anxiety gonna rise

[@StellaMariaGiulia]

Yeah, even if it's just a silly paperback

[@vaibhav0055]

Same

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

*Stop sending me letters, kid!*

[@matelego130]

i think he was trying to send it to me.

[@kushpatel1313]

Why are u alive?

[@tarik3432]

Sir Napoleon, could u do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke tho?

[@kfraser3783]

And I’m the King!

[@generaljeanmoreau6853]

@@kfraser3783 Anyman who says I am the king is no king

[@bonafidemonafide7810]

*Ill save you 8 minutes of your time‚ The answer is: "It was a cliche in paintings at the time because it was seen as a modest noble pose"*

[@susanvino2845]

Thank you

[@flowrepins6663]

i think is a masonic code. karl mark and churchill did the same.thing. regular joes didnt did that stuff

[@phillawrence5148]

Thanks mate

[@jamiemacdonald5203]

@@flowrepins6663 princess harry does it in a few pics too.

[@Eishvar]

Thank you kind stranger

[@clyde2178]

Fun fact: When Napoleon returned to Paris all European countries declared war on him. Not France literally Napoleon only.

[@poiserosie6493]

What?

[@Justin-pe9cl]

He was a very naughty boy.

[@1ena585]

While that's true, it was only because the king was still the legitimate ruler of France, so declaring war on France would have meant declaring war on the king as well.

[@pinheadlarry7266]

@@Justin-pe9cl Nice reference

[@n00bm4str69]

That doesn't sound funny.

[@overratedwood]

If Napoleon is still alive today, hoodie with front pouch would be his favourite jacket no doubt.

[@Melonist]

But would he put both of his hands in there?

[@socerbeast9]

those are everywhere in the DC area lol

[@agungsuryapangestu2446]

@@Melonist and

[@MichaelJ44]

He was a free mason

[@derpynerdy6294]

@@MichaelJ44 Proof? It’s just cool at that time and he copied it Literally every military commander back then love to do that And because it’s also difficult to paint fingers and hand

[@ivanpb1983]

This video taught me that Americans really don't know too much about Napoleon.

[@owlephant5016]

Americans don't know too much about anything, really.

[@chickenlife6208]

Anything with Europe we have no clue

[@brianrkf]

I came here looking for this comment, and I was not disappointed.

[@paytowin8468]

Even though Napoleon sold Louisiana to the USA in 1803

[@traurigekatze]

@@chickenlife6208 I mean we know that britin taxes colony of 13

[@haiminhbui1]

Napoleon: Hey im average height for the time you yerk

[@priyachoudhary9896]

*ooooohhhh Nooooooooo*

[@Justin-pe9cl]

Average height? There’s a tax for that.

[@xananymous431]

Tbh Napoleon was actually 5 ft to 5'5 ft.. The same height as an South East Asian people.. So my guess Napoleon wasn't short, he was just born on the wrong side of the planet!

[@byakugan641]

@@xananymous431 Average SEA people: "Dude...... Uncool"

[@israel8847]

It’s called the hidden hand of masonry, the sign of the master of the 2nd veil.

[@webstercat]

Yes

[@AbrahamLincoln4]

Imagine making a movie parody of Napoleon and for the whole movie, Napoleon has his hand in his shirt while doing simple everyday stuff.

[@mikaelleonbriones6356]

In one picture of your you make a similar pose with your hand in the back instead

[@mariacostea3234]

😂😂😂🤷🏼‍♀️

[@joshgetsmoneybitch1084]

OMG ABRUHAM LINCOLM HOW ARE YOU LIFE???? THAT IS VERY COOL 😎

[@poofsquid8870]

Identity theft is not a joke Jim

[@afonsotrigueiros6947]

Someone call snl

[@thanos8948]

It's not a missing hand guys, he's just scratching his chest hair.

[@priyenswiss2002]

😂

[@Guthix198]

Masonic hand symbol

[@user-ds8jt5mi2h]

Lol

[@Bountyhopper]

Idk who has chest hair on there stomach

[@yasinhassani3929]

he must be on tramadol or something like that :D u know

[@michaelcarroll4503]

As a historian, the hand in coat is shown as a proper stance or show of power in history. Though it wasn't common to see historical figures to this, Napoleon was especially related to the pose. There are many reasons people do it, at the time it was mainly a style type of thing for anybody.

[@aWomanFreed]

Yeah…..that’s not it

[@supersaartje12]

Is a masonic symbol

[@supersaartje12]

Look up Washington

[@lilspoonyskod8742]

​@@supersaartje12you are right

[@shauryakadian7754]

5:15 Napoleon be like : HEY! I HAVE AN AVERAGE HEIGHT FOR THE TIME

[@tempulus9228]

Fellow Oversimplified viewer ;)

[@shauryakadian7754]

@@tempulus9228 yessir you also are a man of culture

[@amirulleonhardt1341]

SACRA BLEEUUUUUUUU!!!! (sorry, i am not french, btw) ;)

[@Exosfear13]

"that's what napoleon looked like?" bruh

[@mkg994]

That guy thinking of stalin lol

[@user-od3dw8uk1k]

Americans...

[@dziban303]

He works with some 🥔s, doesn't he

[@hajileserpud9539]

@@mkg994 Sir... you dear mock me ?!?!

[@hippojuice23]

This is why older people have a certian disdain for younger people.

[@jean-paul4071]

The funny fact about Napoleon, is that he didn’t even start that many wars. At the beginning everyone declared war on France because it was no longer a monarchy, then Napoleon beat them all up. And then they take revenge, etc. Of course he also started his own wars but like, the difference between him and other European countries, is that he won.

[@abdulla-Xshe4ro]

Yep europe was afraid that France's revelution would spread revolutionary ideas especially since europe was mostly monarchy at the time.

[@thinhvo3893]

He wasn't even in power for the first 2 coalition wars. He was simply a general. The only reason it consider part of napoleonic wars simply because how he literally carried the French to victory 80% of the time.

[@dippyzippyzeal2556]

Hmmm? He was a mason????? I like what u said! Hands are hard to paint! Or the duration of exposure ... photography! George Washington? What if masons signal with a hidden hand! Beatles? Dung 🐞 beetle?

[@KashifKhan-iw2ns]

But in reality he was as power hungry as any other European leaders.

[@alejandropinto8130]

Its funny how at first it was because they were no longer a monarchy and then later because he himself became the monarch, basically scaring all the other kings

[@basit.ganie02]

Vox: Napoleon's missing his hand. Me: There's nothing we can do.

[@HighKingTurgon]

I'm stunned that so few of your colleagues did the hand thing-the hand thing is my go-to!

[@lostinthewoods3918]

he was reaching for his piece

[@Abdal-AZA]

Never lacking

[@andyeugene4079]

@@Abdal-AZA This cracked me up way to hard today 😂

[@TTaiiLs]

of eden?

[@rjfaber1991]

@@TTaiiLs We never really got to know that, did we? The Assassin's Creed canon has definitely flirted with the idea that Napoleon's conquests were succesful because he owned a Piece of Eden, but we never got the second game with Arno to actually see it, unfortunately.

[@cmelton6796]

@@Eltener123 Straight Outta Corsica

[@andre5006]

I’m surprised this is new to people. I’m pretty sure males of the British Royal family still do this today

[@johnnygillert2215]

I was surprised too, guess they were not as educated...

[@herewegoo2677]

Only Americans don't there education system is really failing them

[@jona.scholt4362]

Don't you mean "their", seems like your system isn't too good either

[@romancultist6089]

@@jona.scholt4362 Regardless of grammar, you failed to dispute his point. It's common knowledge that changing the subject is seen as an admission of ignorance.

[@crazwolf9825]

This is not new to people. Only ignorant left. We on the right have known about this for long time. Except it wasn't that is was a prominence pose, it is a freemason pose. The hidden hand.

[@Cruor34]

I'm surprised how many people didn't think of him with his hand in his coat... I actually couldn't think of a picture where he didn't have his hand in his coat. I remember asking as a kid 3 decades ago why he did it and I was told the stomach pain one you mentioned, that he had an ulcer on his stomach. I never thought to investigate more as a kid, as an adult told me so it must be true. Then 30 years later this video randomly pops up.

[@rvb6516]

This description of Napoleon is so demeaning - dude was a legend he went himself on the battlefields & fought his own wars - he thought of himself as immortal

[@olleani]

Well truth to be told is that he did actually faint when he did his coup. His brother has to help him during the coup.

[@snowstrobe]

And of course, he wasn't that short. His height was average for those days. Though perhaps not among the aristocracy.

[@rjfaber1991]

He was perfectly average for the time, actually. The whole misunderstanding comes from the fact that his height measured in pieds and pouces (French pre-metric equivalents of Imperial feet and inches) was confused with his height in feet and inches, and because a French pied was longer than an Imperial foot, this made him look short. Of course Napoleon played a major part in spreading the metric system throughout the world, so he inadvertently solved the very issue that plagues his legacy.

[@snowstrobe]

@@rjfaber1991 Oh yeah, I'd forgotten why the mix up.

[@rjfaber1991]

@Anna Gonzalez Is there such a distinction in reality? Most people are, on balance, somewhere in between, aren't they? I can tell you that while Napoleon is often villified as a tyrant in the English-speaking world, he is almost universally seen as a hero in continental Europe, even in the countries that fought against him at the time. Reality will be somewhere in between, as always.

[@dntgswgoh8052]

@Anna Gonzalez it was above average at the time

[@s.f.2480]

@Anna Gonzalez Well he's good and bad at the same time. But he is still the best general in history for me.

[@adinp9384]

'The more you look at it, the weirder it is" Why do you think I never look in the mirror?

[@unreallilac5554]

Same

[@jaysonbrandon9505]

Because he was a Freemason. He’s just saluting his rank to other masons.

[@ketan6182]

I remember reading somewhere that Rulers at the time struck such a pose in paintings to signify peace-time at the time of painting. Hand under coat is apparently a sign that the painting was done at a time when the country wasn't under any danger. Tbh I've seen no other ruler put such a pose

[@jpeters1774]

That is where he keeps his clicker for the Painting Selfie.

[@ajantha1484]

Wow that’s a good one.

[@Captain_Dough]

Good point

[@hermannthefisherman2960]

Obviously it's because he accidentally glued his hand to his coat

[@UtsavChaudhury]

Step-emperor! Help I'm stuck..

[@raien6092]

With flex tape

[@ahmadahli487]

When I was 7 my brother told me that a cannon hit his hand

[@tortillawrapper5454]

Mon-emperur

[@Robin-jk6wz]

@@UtsavChaudhury "What are you doing Step-Emperor?"

[@zelly4914]

Forget Napolean, tell me more about Jacques-Louis David. What an artist!

[@livewellwitheds6885]

this was awesome especially the analysis of the desk/office portrait

[@Kyrelel]

The real question here should be: How do so many young people NOT know he always had his hand in his jacket!?

[@jaojao1768]

More like Americans

[@hackman669]

@@jaojao1768 Sadly America has a very short history. We are not taught much before the 19th century. Mean while Europeans know about a thousand years of history.

[@thesunking7365]

@@jaojao1768 we are thought about a lot of history it's just that most people are bored with the class and tend to forget what they learn after they past the class

[@M.G.2000]

I'm more worried about the fact that some of the people interviewed didn't even know what Napoleon looked like. Haven't they been in high school?

[@i.t9390]

@@jaojao1768 Nope not all I know this

[@jackcloud4728]

To be fair asking Americans about history was never going to end well

[@omniaveritas2427]

Even French people don't know about napoleon apart from waterloo and that's only because of Abba

[@jeromecoward9370]

@@omniaveritas2427 you clearly didn’t grow up in France, he is one of our most famous influential figures

[@rostamdastan9272]

@@omniaveritas2427 you're funny !

[@mickgovernor]

what?

[@javierramirez4065]

To be fair, asking Europeans to not generalize an entire country never ends well.

[@douglas136]

It's sad that people in their 20's and 30's didn't recognize a portrait of Napoleon.

[@IwannaDomyCrush]

Yes because some angry French dude must be known by everyone

[@MrMah-zf6jk]

@@IwannaDomyCrush ah yes, because the guy who is considered one of the greatest military commanders of all time, who sold the USA a third of their territory, and redrew the map of Europe in a way that set up WWI isn't important.

[@IwannaDomyCrush]

@@MrMah-zf6jk Of course, that is why everyone from Asia and Africa should know about the short European dude!

[@MrMah-zf6jk]

@@IwannaDomyCrush yes, they should, because whether you like it or not, Europe has had a massive impact on the world.

[@mehmetgurdal]

This gesture actually a part of our lives now. I see a lot of people putting one of their hands to their pockets. It's an easy way to portray yourself with an artistic assymetrical pose.

[@fyzxnerd]

I am with you, I can't imagine Napoleon Bonaparte with anything less than a hand in his jacket and a "demure" look on his face.

[@Edmonton-of2ec]

Demure? I always thought it was... almost an attempt to hide a look of self-satisfaction

[@emilt.m.6418]

i remember that the first question i ever had when i learned about napoleon was the hand thing, surprised not everyone noticed it

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Obviously he's hiding cheese from me

[@H-N-K]

Yes, he should have given the cheese to or great leader.

[@Lee247Jamaica]

Kim u on aviation channels now here

[@shivaniarunkumar1248]

Supreme leader..I see ur comment I reply.

[@paweszczepanski6738]

Ahahahahahahhhaahhahahahahaha

[@zainmudassir2964]

Greetings Supreme leader

[@kirxa8588]

The paintings of him with his hand being hidden is me when I don’t feel like drawing hands and just do the hands behind the back pose.

[@sandeepgill9975]

Guess you could say he single-handedly conquered Europe

[@Robin-jk6wz]

For the record, George Washington was just hidin' his Glock. Nothin' fancy.

[@MausOfTheHouse]

Not a glock. Everyone knows that he used a 1911. Duh

[@AbrahamLincoln4]

John Wilkes Booth was hiding his derenger.

[@sontalks]

@@MausOfTheHouse no. He used a 1775 Rebellion

[@shinsenshogun900]

@@AbrahamLincoln4 Security was never that tight since your election tbh Abe

[@whatareyoudoingstepcomment4029]

i'll be suprise if george washington holding his NFB (nuclear football briefcase)

[@kingisaacius9712]

Plot Twist: Napoleon was missing a button on his jacket and didnt want it to be seen

[@MeetThaNewDealer]

Now it all makes sense

[@Mitthradata]

Like, NO That's a very famous sign of early freemasons communicating their status with each other, and at the time of Napoleon it wasn't a secret anymore but still it showed connection to the brotherhood

[@marvindroid3865]

I do this in school in the past because it feels comfortable and warm

[@paulangelopineda2534]

"it's hard to draw hands" -every artist out there

[@Stormchxser]

YES IM SO BAD AT DRAWING HANDS AAAAAA

[@adly.prastya]

"-evey"

[@priyachoudhary9896]

Me who always hides it behind their backs. *YES*

[@adly.prastya]

@@priyachoudhary9896 genius

[@theexcelsior_0024]

I remember a Finnish Legend that The reason Napoleon held his hand inside his jacket was because he was a huge fan of salmiakki, so he always held a small box of it inside his coat so that he could have quick snacks :D

[@NapoleonCalland]

@@zamppa3974 I'll make a note to try it! ;) 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🇫🇷🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🇫🇷🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🇫🇷🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🇫🇷🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@louloubrubru8692]

I like that legend! I didn't know about it until now but it's funny haha

[@thepoglin8479]

god i wish that would be the reason

[@nevize6660]

@skittles ☆彡 at least they arent US bees

[@henlofrens]

in NL we have candies called Napoleons that use exactly the same imagery as a marketing strategy. They are good candies too.

[@toolbox3600]

I felt physical pain when he drew on the book

[@Finkelfunk]

Fun fact: The fact that the clock shows 4:15 and Napoleon seeming to have worked all night does have a bit of truth in it. Napoleon, especially during wartime, was rumored to sleep no more than 4 hours a night (not continuously mind you, from 12am - 2am and 5am - 7am usually with time to work from 2am - 5am), sometimes sleeping as little as two hours in his wars for weeks on end.

[@fredericchopin4821]

That’s actually a pretty cool fact hahahahah

[@nicholasgutierrez9940]

He even did it during battles. Just set up a plan and got his commanders to execute it while he slept.

[@akshaysinghrai]

Exactly....War, what is it good for? Not for your circadian rhythm.

[@Heisenberg882]

@@nicholasgutierrez9940 apparently at the battle of wagram he went to sleep for 15 minutes in the middle of the largest European battle up to that point

[@kim2894]

Don't quote it to the boss tho or else the boss reply would "he must have sleep through Waterloo!"

[@onewayticket2148]

All artists be like: Fingers are hard to draw man 😭

[@darkgreen3047]

Truth

[@Canessa1298]

it really surprises me that so many people dont know that he puts his hand on the jacket or that he was not short, but maybe i expect too much. Epic History TV has an amazing series about the Napoleonic Wars

[@scintillam_dei]

Superficial PG Disney-esque version of history, rather than the true history.

[@Jasmine-ot8br]

Wait he wasn’t short ???

[@stefthorman8548]

​@@Jasmine-ot8br5'6 average height for the time

[@peterfahey9088]

Hard hitting journalism, man. HARD. HITTING. JOURNALISM.

[@alphagoat2035]

I thought that painting of him riding on a horse was the most famous one

[@whynot-tomorrow_1945]

"Napoleon Crossing the Alps"

[@firstnamelastname4249]

It is his most badass though

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

"Luckily they banished him to an island" *"But he came back"*

[@jeanlannes2611]

Lucky for who?

[@brobroman425]

But then he came back and staged another coup d'etat

[@gurrrn1102]

And then they banished him to another island

[@brobroman425]

@@gurrrn1102 k

[@lucasfoliattideazevedo4445]

And never came back again.

[@ajl8198]

Thank you i have always been obsessed with his hand pose and could never find out why he did this

[@gogie9879]

I remember a scene of a movie I watched, a biography of one of our heroes here in the Philippines, Gen. Gregorio del Pillar, the scene was of him posing for a picture, and he did this exact pose, and the photographer commented, oh that's a Mason's pose, which the young Gen. then replied, Napoleon. I dont know if they are connected, just sharing :)

[@asilma6378]

I'm french and people always forget that more than his military victories Napelon created the "Code civil". He created civil law and it's use by half of world population today. He also expensed the metric system to France and Europe (with wars). He unified France. So he isn't considered as a tyran in France (even if he killed milion of people with his wars) Sorry for my english 😊

[@jo-vf8jx]

He’s also the reason why some places drive on the right hand side and not the left.

[@andrecalatre]

Indeed! I would add as well that a lot of silly stereotypes about Napoleon (and France in general) are also because Anglo-Saxonic culture spread everywhere, first with the British Empire and then with US. So the image we tend to get was the image his enemies at the time tried to pass and not necessarily the image and legacy he left in his country and allies.

[@sonicluffypucca96]

Poland 🇵🇱 loves ❤ Napoleon too.

[@stt.9433]

@@jo-vf8jx that's a myth.

[@uncitoyen_8614]

It's not "his" wars but the wars of the (british) allied coalitions

[@themuskratianempire]

Can I just say that Napoleon is the only person in history who could pull the hand-in-jacket look off? The other guys looked horrible when doing it.

[@kittogashi8561]

George Washington... massive 'yikes' moment seeing that.

[@henrydelay1821]

Custer and Sherman look pretty cool doing it imo

[@noahleach7690]

I think the original tunics looked better.

[@faintsmile363]

i think it depends on the artist

[@thathistoryiscoolguy]

Except Sherman

[@Bah-bv1yz]

Props to your friend Sam from the start for wearing that fire t-shirt (We love the strokes.)

[@fredarcher7264]

Thank you so much for this .

[@gudea5207]

So basically: Napoleon is depicted like that because it’s a common device of portraiture and he is a widely depicted individual so it’s associated with him. That’s all that really needed to be said.

[@kemo2547]

Its a hidden hand of freemasonry

[@gaiusjuliuscaesar3808]

@@kemo2547 wot

[@kemo2547]

@@gaiusjuliuscaesar3808 google it brother

[@nebulousisgod]

@@kemo2547 Eyeroll

[@ronpoirier2763]

Hiding your hand like that is a sign that he's a Freemason. You see many prominent paintings of old & pictures of new have men doing the exact same thing. Think of it like the modern day throwing up a gang sign. It shows what gang he's with as well as letting other members know he's a member. I would assume he was a high ranking/degree member of his Masonic Lodge.

[@jabscha7051]

The Fairly Oddparents taught me that he was holding a croissant under his waistcoat

[@kenanacampora]

And the croissant was crescent shaped enumerating victory over islam at the battle of Poitiers with Frankish Knight Charles Martel in the vanguard.

[@kahmylion2]

@@kenanacampora was just about to say.. symbolism .. by their symbols you can identify them..

[@Mark-zu6oz]

Maybe he was just happy to see someone.

[@anyatwomingo]

i feel like people who enjoyed this video would enjoy oversimplified's video on napoleon

[@zylnexxd842]

Yes

[@ledge-magee]

I thought the chair was going to be a set-up for the cavalry pose he did in that one painting, but I guess I too was wrong about what people associate with Napoleon.

[@patrickpereira91]

Was expecting that too. I recognize the hand thing, but that painting is just too iconic

[@ldynasty]

In two hundred years, there will be another video like this titled: "Asians' V-shaped fingers, explained" ✌

[@bertafjertafisalukta2302]

Omfg

[@AryFerreiradaCunha]

That needs to be made today!

[@jannat3109]

✌

[@GeneralLiuofBoston1911]

And watch it be wrong

[@prepurstep9669]

Hahahaha

[@vigolevigo7625]

I love how Vox pulled out an 8min video for a question that can be answered in 2 sentences

[@KoiYakultGreenTea]

That’s how your write essays and journal articles for researching. Bring a ton of evidence and explain why that aligns with the statement

[@orangepenguin2975]

Gotta get that add revenue

[@mikmik9034]

My thinking about the hand in his Coat/Vest is that it is easier to Pose that way. I seem to remember that in the early days of Photography when a person had to hold a pose for five minutes (or more) an armature was (hidden) was used.

[@g4340]

I read in a few books that putting the hand like that was synonymous with secret socities. While the books did talk about what this video talks about, the secret socties adopted it as the meaning from everything from "the hidden hand" doing works to it being a sign of people being in various secret socities.

[@Coolmark123]

This is a video I didn’t know I needed

[@linus6695]

du bist echt dumm

[@spr6065]

This was a video I didn't need

[@kemo2547]

Its the hidden hand of freemasonry

[@ronpoirier2763]

Hiding your hand like that is a sign that he's a Freemason. You see many prominent paintings of old & pictures of new have men doing the exact same thing. Think of it like the modern day throwing up a gang sign. It shows what gang he's with as well as letting other members know he's a member. I would assume he was a high ranking/degree member of his Masonic Lodge.

[@Razorcarl]

True

[@erstwhilerambler]

Someone gonna talk about that guy at 4:35? He’s really enjoying himself.

[@kidkurmudgeon7015]

ah yes Adriaen Brouwer's "Peasant invents 2nd base"

[@australium7374]

Probably dead

[@thomashaeyen6942]

@@australium7374 of course, why not

[@vegancookies340]

That’s jokes

[@sethalexanderg]

He didn't hide his height. He's 5'2

[@putaina7102]

"and portrait artists, as hands are hard to paint." well some things never change genuinely though, the whiplash i felt from the contrast with, the constant culture shock that comes with digesting centuries old past morals and manners, to being met with a sentiment that still holds strong today was something

[@DetectiveTrupo203]

Uhh what? Why would the difficulty of painting human hands accurately change with time? Of course they're still hard to paint or draw. As long as humans have hands, this will remain true...

[@josephvankirk6509]

It's called The hidden hand it has many syllables but it refers to not showing the enemy what you're going to do (also being secretive and having knowledge that you do not)

[@Zalmoksis44]

This is pretty strange that a bunch of well educated people have difficulties recognizing Napoleon.

[@bumblebeeeoptimus]

"well educated"

[@StudentInFrance]

You must remember that these are Americans. They know American history but not much European history.

[@Astrhal]

@@StudentInFrance american history ? XD this country is 500 years old

[@StudentInFrance]

@@Astrhal You can fill a book with minute details. ;)

[@Astrhal]

@@StudentInFrance indeed, but generaly school doesnt go to much in depth, the goal it to have a general understanding of history, more than in depth knowledge about a particular event

[@thunderboomer8726]

This is fascinating - thought it was just a Napoleon thing! How could I have missed ever noticing the many other examples you discovered??? (And your video raises a question, don’t students learn any European history any more?)

[@GTAMASTER.180]

"Hide your iron hand inside a velvet glove and appear with the sweetest of smiles..." Kind of quote I once read, referenced to Napoleon in the intro to 48 laws of power book.

[@BrandonCuringtonOfficial]

There was a point during 8th grade where I got too obsessed with 18th century European history that I always struck the "hand in pocket pose" whenever somebody took a picture of me. I always thought it was pretty badass

[@dalcomaroni9837]

Hi Giorno!

[@aWomanFreed]

It’s ok, the masons like em young

[@masa-qi8cx]

Napoleon: Why does it always have to itch during a portraitshoot.

[@Titus_Vespasianus]

Great video...been reading about this man since I was 13...

[@grayadonas]

I thought everyone knew that about Napoleon. And my grandpa had one of those chairs that you mentioned at the end.

[@user-cj2dx5tf8g]

I was shocked to hear people say "is THAT Napoleon?" Do you guys not have history lessons in the US?

[@andrewwang2602]

We have us history and world history, not European history. U gotta take ap for that. I bet European schools teach their countries histories and not focus on US.

[@Migd4]

@B Babbich that's unfortunate, all topics lectured and taught should matter, so why would they be taught after all?

[@narwhalito]

@@Migd4 They all matter, it's just most students prefer one or two subjects over the others. This is what he was trying to say.

[@Bnio]

I thought Napoleon was famous because he was the guy that first combined vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream. So...yeah, our history classes could use a little oomph.

[@neilworms2]

I learned about Napolean and saw the hand gesture in history, and I am an American, has education declined so much?

[@bobyale6159]

“I’m just tucking my shirt in.” - Rudolph Giuliani

[@prateekbhurkay9376]

Surprise Borat reference

[@pihlajafox]

When I saw painting of Napoleon first time (doing that hand think) I have only imagine him doing that. Its almost impossible to think him without other hand in shirt

[@hifinsword]

Portraits of famous people in the 18th and 19th centuries were following the Greek examples from much earlier times. Greek orators thought using the hands during a speech was ill-mannered so they were immortalized in statuary with a hand in their robes signifying they did not use their hands when speaking. Later on in the 18th and 19th centuries, that pose was again copied to project a noble and calm composure without resorting to a flailing of hands to make a point.

[@ohnenamen2843]

It’s saying a lot about Americans that y’all didn’t know what Napoleon looked like

[@dozobi1510]

Most people would have forgotten about him after they're done with they high school history classes.

[@Ghost-jy3cd]

@@dozobi1510 maybe in the US but definitely not in Europe

[@GeneralGoldChannel]

He isn’t that important to America

[@MW-ep4kb]

says alot about vox employees

[@ohnenamen2843]

@@GeneralGoldChannel Neither is Lincoln to Europeans. We still know what he looked like.

[@nsahandler]

Nobody's going to answer WHY this fashion caught on? Officer coats had no pockets.

[@nsahandler]

@Graf von Losinj No, it's not. Stop being silly.

[@nsahandler]

@Graf von Losinj >now nothing but crickets

[@ronpoirier2763]

@@nsahandler Here's a simple explanation. Hiding your hand like that is a sign that he's a Freemason. You see many prominent paintings of old & pictures of new have men doing the exact same thing. Think of it like the modern day throwing up a gang sign. It shows what gang he's with as well as letting other members know he's a member. I would assume he was a high ranking/degree member of his Masonic Lodge.

[@nsahandler]

@@ronpoirier2763 I'm a Mason mate you're full of trash

[@ronpoirier2763]

@@nsahandler and a Merry Christmas to you to.

[@ItsEliza5]

That book cover is giving me déjà vous like I feel like I’ve seen that book cover from some where but I just put my finger on it

[@BoyMarihuana]

Name more iconic duo: Americans & Answering history questions completely wrong

[@Magooch86]

Eh, at least they own it

[@andrewsucksatvideos4482]

Name a more dynamic duo Europeans and not knowing that American schools don’t teach about Napoleon because it had nothing to do with them

[@Lawliet734]

0:50 "Like a pole? Am I wrong?" She heard "Napoleon" and associated his name with "pole," but obviously doesn't know who he was.

[@AuntieLux]

Nah I think she was just looking for something to hold as a prop

[@erstwhilerambler]

@francessmaala I love it! Alas, you give her far too much credit. (Please tell me you’re being sarcastic.)

[@riptidemonzarc3103]

Well Napoleon *did* "liberate" Poland...

[@jonkras2737]

Fun fact 🇮🇹, Napolean was Italian from his father. Search up, was Napoleans father Italian, and it will say "Carlo Maria Buonaparte or Charles-Marie Bonaparte (27 March 1746 - 24 February 1785) was a Corsican lawyer and diplomat of Italian origin, best known as the father of Napoleon Bonaparte"

[@bg1052]

I mean, Corsicans in general were more related to Italians than the French.

[@WorldfreeFreemark]

Like crossing your arms, placing one of them in your pocket is a way to rest it. I often travel as a passenger in a pickup truck with a hand on the handle above right of me. This is not for aesthetics, but a way to hold the hand, relieving its weight and thus more energy efficient. So often form does indeed follow function, as per Lewis Sullivan, per Marcus Vitruvius Pollio.

[@TheOfficialEpicTree]

It's because he's holding the Apple of Eden of course.

[@spectrobit5554]

it took longer to find this comment than it should

[@malcolmmacgregor8837]

Been playing AC2 just recently, nice reference my dude.

[@australium7374]

He’s hiding an enchanted golden apple from sapnap

[@cardinal3728]

A man of culture

[@aspiretospidey]

@@spectrobit5554 my thoughts exactly.

[@moniquita720]

Because the artist has anxiety when he has to draw hands. I know. We've all been there.

[@DOLsenior]

Or by the time the artist got to the hand and said hands take a while the model said, "just hurry it up will ya! How 'bout I tuck my hand in my waistcoat." And the artist replied, "That works for me." and to himself, "whew"

[@olleani]

In swedish sign language you actually do the hand inside the shirt gesture to sign the name of Napoleon. I'm gonna tell my mom how old that gesture is now.

[@jonesy279]

“Notable sitters” is a delightful bit of writing!

[@theinquisition_]

Just saying, George Washington’s portrait was hilarious 😆

[@DOLsenior]

Lol ikr?

[@Bnio]

Good ol' George "Purple Nurple" Washington

[@Fran-mh2ef]

Bacon: duuude! Your profile pic is off the chains! ⛓

[@JTytshorts]

I love how KZbin answers the questions I didn’t even know I had

[@scottmattern3437]

Blown away that not every single person did not know that hand gesture of Napoleon.

[@julianhess7527]

KZbin: Napoleons missing hand, explained Me: FINALLY ive been asking myself this question for the past 0.00003 seconds

[@missfly4406]

I always thought that he itched his chest.

[@TheSaltyAdmiral]

You actually marked the book with the sharpie, now I have to take a shower and buy a new computer.

[@johnstevenson9956]

I never would have guessed that so many people didn't know about the "hand in the shirt" pose. I thought by now it was practically a cliche!

[@kentvesser9484]

Yeah, it is kind of embarrassing as an American that so few knew anything about him. But in fairness few Americans know US history all that well let alone that of foreign nations. I bet you could have really embarrassed these co-workers by showing them a portrait of Napoleon that was actually a portrait of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson and see how many didn't even notice the switch.

[@darlingusa2pettee57]

masonic hidden hand

[@jebeb6663]

These were literally the worst people to ask, not a single one of them seemed to know anything but the name Naploean

[@johnstevenson9956]

@@jebeb6663 Oh yeah, I've heard of him! I believe his last name was Dynamite, right?

[@days7687]

@@darlingusa2pettee57 Napolean was never a Mason, pretty sure he hated Masonry

[@Mayitzin]

I just felt so weird about those marker lines over the book.

[@charcolew]

6:54 on the left, the French poet Charles Baudelaire, nowadays considered one of the great figures of literature but largely unrecognised in his lifetime.

[@Adammarshall2341]

Tbh so many people were unrecognised back then and after they died they were famous.

[@RaccoonNation]

You’d think more people are interested in his missing “member”

[@thatdude1853]

It's in a box in a basement in New Jersey.

[@cleotavaresacompanhantedel8647]

Paulo kogos

[@ThomasTubeHD]

Vox: “electoral college,explained” Me: boring Vox: “Napoleon’s missing hand, explained” Me: FINALLY, USEFUL INFORMATION

[@horizelux2212]

haha we all love the "less Important" stuff than the useful and educational videos, don't we!