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Ancient Visualizations

Nita

Last edited Jun 17, 2025
Created on Jun 17, 2025

Napoleon's March Visualization

This is a recreation of Minard's famous visualization showing Napoleon's disastrous march to Moscow in 1812-1813.

The visualization shows:

  • The size of the army (represented by the width of the path)
  • The direction of travel (advancing in tan, retreating in blue)
  • The geographical route taken by the army
  • The temperature during the retreat (shown at the bottom)

This classic visualization is often cited by Edward Tufte as an exemplar of effective data visualization, displaying multiple variables in a clear, compelling narrative.

MIT Licensed