The paintings depict two key scenes from the Napoleonic era in France at the beginning of the 19th Century. The left hand painting shows Napoleon's retreat from Moscow in 1812, when the cold Russian winter forced his troops to abandon their invasion of Russia. This episode is seen by many historians as the beginning of the end of Napoleon's dominance in Europe. The right hand painting, by contrast, depicts Napoleon's coronation in 1804, the moment when, at the height of his power, he declared himself Emperor of the French.

The scenes are painted on ivory, set within gilt bronze frames with stands, and signed.