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Napoleon Bonaparte Visits Plague Victims in Jaffa, Syria This image of Napoleon Bonaparte visiting plague victims during a campaign in Jaffa in 1799 emphasizes the general’s courage and compassion, evoking the biblical scene of Jesus touching and healing lepers. Bonaparte commissioned this painting to defend himself against accusations that he had failed in his duty toward the sick.
(By Jan-Antoine Gros [1771–1835]/Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images)