Joséphine in coronation costume
1807-1808
Napoleon's first wife, Joséphine, sits regally in this stunning portrait wearing her actual coronation gown, complete with a heavy ermine-lined velvet cloak and a dazzling diamond crown. Painted by François Gérard shortly after her 1804 coronation, the piece was meant to cement her status as Empress, though their marriage would end in divorce just a few years later. The heavy red velvet and gold embroidery scream imperial power, but her gentle expression adds a touch of human warmth to the grand political statement.
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