Emperor Napoléon Ier's prodigious destiny, from his childhood in Corsica to the Return of the Ashes from Saint Helena, on the one hand, through popular imagery, engravings and paintings by great artists like David, Gros and Prud'hon, and, on the other hand, the landscapes and monuments that are the reminders of this great figure. The whole thing is unified by a commentary meant to captivate the public.