#empress of the french

[royalty-nobility]

Portrait of Marie-Louise of Austria, Wife of Napoleon and Empress of France

Artist: Robert Lefèvre (French, 1755–1830)

Date: 1812

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: Museo Glauco Lombardi, Emilia Romagna, Italy

Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma

Marie Louise (12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847) was Duchess of Parma from 11 April 1814 until her death in 1847. She was Napoleon's second wife and as such Empress of the French and Queen of Italy from their marriage on 1 April 1810 until his abdication on 6 April 1814.

[tiny-librarian]

Portrait of Marie-Louise of Austria, Duchess of Parma.

[dreamconsumer]

Eugénie, Empress of the French. By Sir William Ross.

[lurkerlaine]

[pobodleru]

There is no worse enmity than between Napoleon and Josephine’s pug (Fortuné), who not only did not allow Bonaparte into the house, but also bit him on the leg.

[classic-art-favourites]

Josephine in Coronation Costume by Francois Gerard, 1807-1808.

[queenfredegund]

Women in History Month (insp) | Week 1: Leading Women

[empirearchives]

Miniature watercolor portrait of Josephine Bonaparte, c. 1804-09

By Jean-Baptiste Isabey

Location: Harvard Art Museums

[occvltswim]

❝Sultane Noire (1748)❞ — Joseph-Marie Vien (French, 1716–1809)

[illustratus]

Portrait of Joséphine de Beauharnais by Andrea Appiani

[roehenstart]

Empress Eugenie by Claude Marie Dubufe.

[royalty-nobility]

The Empress Eugénie Surrounded by Her Ladies in Waiting

Artist: Franz Xaver Winterhalter (German, 1805–1873)

Date: 1855

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Musée du Second Empire, Compiègne, France

Description

Taking its inspiration from 18th-century bucolic scenes, this monumental composition sets the sovereign and her entourage against the backdrop of a shady clearing in a forest, (evoquing certain 17th-Century compositions representing Diana and her companions such as those by Rubens or Van Loo). However, the composition is very artificial and formal. The Empress, slightly to the left of centre, is encircled by and dominates the group. To her right sits the Princesse d’Essling, chief lady in waiting, to whom she is offering some honeysuckle. To her left, is the Duchesse de Bassano, matron of honour. Before her sit the Baronne de Pierres and the Vicomtesse de Lezay-Marnésia, both ladies in waiting. In the foreground is Comtesse de Montebello; to the right are three other ladies in waiting, the Baronne de Malaret, the Marquise de Las Marismas and the Marquise de la Tour-Maubourg. In striking contrast to the rustic setting, the ladies in waiting rival each other in vestimentary luxury. Each one is wearing her finest ball gown, thus giving the painter a pretext for a virtuoso display of material painting, even to the detriment of the likenesses. In fact the real subject of this glorification of the crinoline is the silk, tulle, muslin, taffeta, lace and ribbons. Only the simplicity of the jewelry seems to match the pastoral setting.

[tiny-librarian]

A gilt bronze bust of Marie Louise of Austria, Duchess of Parma.

[ic-napology]

Was chatting just right now with @credo--ergo-sum and suddenly remembered my main silly Naposéphine headcanon. Now I need to share it with you too.

So Napoleon gave Josephine the name she's famous with, but I headcanon that it also happened viceversa. I've always been bothered by how she called him "Bonaparte" despite them being very close. I know that it was normal back then, but it still feels odd to me, so I needed to find some other reason.

Naps dropped the U from his original surname Buonaparte around the time of their marriage. It was for pronounciation purposes, because "uo" is not pronounced the same way in Italian and in French. Maybe many thought it was actually "ou". If you know both languages you know it's a little mess.

I keep imagining Napoleon hearing his name contantly butchered for seventeen years, even without mocking intentions. In the context of his first years in France, it must have drawn a parallel with how excluded and estranged he felt. A name represents you and the way people treat it represents how they take you and your presence. Also think about how the British made a point of calling him "BUonaparte", as a reminder of how he wasn't even French to begin with, much less deserving of being their sovereign.

The period around his marriage was crucial for Napoleon's process to belong to the French society, which the marriage itself was a huge part of. It makes sense that he took the name-changing decision now.

I headcanon that "Bonaparte" was the way Josephine personally butchered his name. Can't bother with dealing with a difficult sound, so let's drop it already - that seems typical Josephine laziness. Especially about letters you may also write ("oh non, please don't talk to me about writing...")

But Napoleon might have actually liked the sound of it. Maybe he liked it because it came from her? That's not important. He surely must have liked how it was faster to write too. He would then take inspiration from that to change his surname.

Josephine helped Napoleon when he had to enter in Parisian society and become the figure we know today as Napoleon Bonaparte. It's nice to think that his final name was her idea, not just the opposite, as in "I helped in creating you so your name will tell everyone about it".

That would mean that Josephine sticked to "Bonaparte" as a reminder of that.

Do you like this headcanon? Hope it isn't too much of a stretch from reality!

[archduchessofnowhere]

I bring you not very good news: Nancy Goldstone wrote a double biography on Elisabeth and Empress Eugenie, to be published on February 6 of next year.

After reading @vivelareine's review of Goldstone's book on Marie Antoinette I simply do not trust this author is a good researcher, and while I won't judge this book until it's out, I can't help but being very wary already. The synopsis alone doesn't give me much hope:

From the acclaimed author of In the Shadow of the Empress comes the thrilling chronicle of two of the most influential and glamorous women in nineteenth-century Europe—Elisabeth, empress of Austria, and Eugénie, empress of France—and their efforts to rule amid the scandal, intrigue, tragedy, and violence of their era.

When they married Emperors Franz Joseph and Napoleon III, respectively, Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France became two of the most famous women on the planet. Not only were they both young and beautiful—becoming cultural and fashion icons of their time—but they played a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era characterized by unprecedented political and technological change.

Fearless, adventurous, and independent, Elisabeth and Eugénie represented a new kind of empress—one who rebelled against tradition and anticipated and embraced modern values. Yet both women endured hardship in their private and public lives. Elisabeth was plagued by a mother-in-law who snatched her infant children away and undermined her authority at court. Eugénie’s husband was an infamous philanderer who could not match the military prowess of his namesake. Between them, Elisabeth and Eugénie were personally involved in every major international confrontation in their turbulent century, which witnessed thrilling technological advances, as well as revolutions, assassinations, and wars.

With her characteristic in-depth research and jump-off-the-page writing, Nancy Goldstone brings to life these two remarkable women, as Europe goes through the convulsions that led up to the international landscape we recognize today.

You see, I don't think it's crazy to pair up Elisabeth and Eugenie in a biography if your focus is going to be their queenship. Because they were very different as empresses, and I'd love a comparative study on why and how was that possible. Yet the synopsis is implying they were similar? How was Elisabeth personally involved in every major international confrontation? She was only personally involved in the Compromise, every other event she only reacted to (if even). Meanwhile Eugenie actively tried to participate in the politics of France and influence her husband (successfully in many cases, I believe).

The "domineering mother-in-law" part also worries me. Unsere liebe Sisi's been out since 2008, there's no excuse to not give Sophie a more nuanced portrayal.

But well, authors usually don't write the synopsis of their books, so I won't read more into it than what I've done already. I truly hope this biography isn't terrible because we don't need to add one more book to the already giant pile of books about Elisabeth that are filled with myths and misinformation.

[pobodleru]

Dear friends, today is my birthday, and I would be glad to see your reblogs of my arts and some kind words for me ❤️‍🔥