Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Gund Gallery
Symbols of Power:
Napoleon and the Art
of the Empire Style, 1800-1815
October 21, 2007-
January 27, 2008

From his ornately carved gilded throne, Napoleon ruled much of early 19th century Europe. One of his four surviving thrones, opulently upholstered in rich red velvet and accented with imperial emblems, is among the nearly 200 works of art — which include paintings, sculpture, costume, jewelry, silver, and furniture — is featured in Symbols of Power: Napoleon and the Art of the Empire Style, 1800-1815. The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts, New York, and Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

The exhibition brings the grandeur of Napoleon’s empire and the splendor of his palaces at Fontainebleau, Versailles, Compiègne, and Saint-Cloud to Boston. Many of the works are masterpieces of the period and have never been seen outside of France. A highlight of the exhibition, the monumental coronation painting Napoleon I on the Imperial Throne by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1806, 8-1⁄2 x 5-1⁄4’, Musée de l’Armée, Paris), shows Napoleon in ermine and velvet, crowned like Caesar, and holding the scepter and hand of justice of Charlemagne. It underscores the larger-than-life presence of the formidable French leader and military genius who promoted a new artistic style that allied his regime with those of the Roman imperial past and with the reign of Charlemagne, the King of the Franks, who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800.

Objects made for Napoleon and his wife, Josephine, crowned emperor and empress in 1804, are a focal point of Symbols of Power. Their love affair is legendary, and made tangible by the inclusion in the exhibition of Empress Josephine’s Letter Box (1805-1810, Fondation Napoléon, Paris), a rootwood, ebony, and gilded bronze box that contained the many love letters sent to her by Napoleon. Also shown are the delicate gold-embroidered satin Slippers Worn by Empress Josephine at the Coronation (1804, Les Arts Décoratifs, Musée de la Mode et du Textile, Paris). As well, the emperor would have worn Napoleon’s Sword (1806, Musée National Château de Fontainebleau). Designed for use at official functions, it was made from gold, enamel, steel and tortoiseshell.

Napoleon came to power during the turbulent political climate of the late 18th century. [A few years earlier, American revolutionaries had won independence from the British Crown (1775-1783)]. In France, angry mobs stormed the Bastille on July 14, 1789, beginning a revolution and setting in motion 10 years of instability that peaked in the Reign of Terror (1793-94), during which King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette, and thousands of aristocrats were executed. Society was turned upside down in the name of liberté, égalité, fraternité, and France declared war on neighboring monarchies. Out of this tableau rose Napoleon Bonaparte, an ambitious and resourceful general who achieved political power as the First Consul in the Consulate government (1799-1804), then crowned himself emperor (1804-1814). With this regime came a bold new artistic style that celebrated the military power and grandeur of imperial France.

“As emperor, Napoleon allied himself with the great civilizations of the past, especially those of classical Rome and Greece and ancient Egypt, as a means of legitimizing his reign and creating an illusion of permanence, grandeur, and monumentality,” said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the Museum of Fine Arts. “This exhibition represents a rare opportunity to see many spectacular objects made for Napoleon and Josephine, which reflect the new French style that evolved from the austerity of the Revolution to the splendor of imperial France.”

Symbols of Power is the first comprehensive survey of the decorative arts of late 18th- and early 19th-century France and of the iconography pervasive in all the arts at the time. Many of the most important works of the Empire period will be displayed, representing virtually every visual medium: furniture, silver, porcelain, gilt bronzes, clocks, drawings, illustrated books, jewelry, costume, glass, sculpture, wallpapers, firearms, textiles and carpets, as well as paintings. A majority of these works reflect the influence of Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, the official architects and designers of the Empire, who defined a new visual language glorifying the military and political power of the emperor.

The exhibition examines the artistic use of classical emblems of power — the Roman eagle, a symbol of imperial Rome and the god Jupiter; the laurel wreath, symbolizing victory; and Mars, Roman god of war — to underscore the military strength of France under Napoleon. Paintings such as Robert Jacques François Faust Lefèvre’s Portrait of Napoleon I in His Coronation Robes (1812, MFA, Boston) attest to the emperor’s dominant presence on the world stage. A steel and brass ceremonial breastplate, Napoleon’s Cuirass (ca. 1805, Musée Carnavalet, Paris), presented to the emperor by Parisian armorers in 1805, is decorated with an image of Mars intended to flatter him as a great military leader.

Napoleon appropriated symbols of power not only from antiquity, but also from France’s distant past in order to legitimize his reign and to glorify the new French empire. Often seen in his portraits are the hand of justice and the scepter, both part of Charlemagne’s imperial regalia and re-used for Napoleon’s coronation on December 2, 1804. The scepter, the baton of command and sign of sovereign authority, is mounted with a statuette of Charlemagne, the ancestor of the new political regime. Another pervasive emblem is the bee (an ancient symbol of immortality), which connected him to Childeric I, founder of the Merovingian dynasty in France. A magnificent example of the use of the bee is the Savonnerie Carpet from the Throne Room of the Tuileries Palace (1807-1809, 25 1⁄2’ x 21’, Musée National des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau, Rueil-Malmaison), which depicts the emblems of the empire as well as the cipher “N.”

Providing counterbalance to the masculine emblems favored by Napoleon is the feminine iconography seen in the decorative arts cherished by Josephine. The empress collected 10,000 rare and exotic trees, plants and flowers in the greenhouse and gardens at the château of Malmaison, the Bonapartes’ private residence near Paris. Botanical designs made from specimens in Josephine’s collection were used for the decoration of her porcelains, such as the two ice-cream coolers featured in Fourteen Pieces from the Service des Plantes de la Malmaison et les Liliacées (1802-1805, MFA, Boston), a dessert service with a different flower or plant decorating each piece that the Sèvres Manufactory created for her. The feminine iconography highlighted in the exhibition, including swans, butterflies, dance, the female nude, and flowers, served as metaphors for love and seduction. The Gondola Chair from Josephine Bonaparte’s Boudoir in Saint-Cloud (ca. 1802-1803, Musée National des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau, Rueil-Malmaison) is a striking example of one of Josephine’s favorite emblems — the swan — which serves as armrests on this elegant chair.

Symbols of Power offers a unique opportunity for museum-goers to see masterworks of the Napoleonic period brought together from a large number of museums and private collections. Approximately 80 percent of the works featured have been lent by French museums: the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; Musée du Louvre, Paris; Musée de la Mode et du Textile, Paris; the Musée de l’Armée, Paris; the Mobilier National; the Musée National de Céramique et les Archives de la Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres; the former imperial residences, the châteaux de Fontainebleau, Malmaison, Versailles and Trianon, and Compiègne; as well as the Fondation Napoléon. Many of these objects have never before been seen in the United States. The remaining works of art in the exhibition are from American museums, private collections, and the MFA’s own renowned European art collection, such as the porcelain Bust of Napoleon I, made at the Sèvres Manufactory after a model by Antoine-Denis Chaudet (1806, MFA, Boston), copies of which the emperor gave as presentation gifts to heads of state, including Pope Pius VII and the King of Prussia, as well as to Josephine and other notable figures. The bust’s idealized features liken Napoleon to Augustus Caesar, the Roman emperor with whom he most closely identified himself.

“By the time Napoleon became emperor in 1804, he had already begun to champion a bold, classical aesthetic that expressed grandeur and monumentality, a stark contrast to the very decorative neoclassicism of pre-Revolutionary France,” said Tracey Albainy (Russell B. and Andrée Beauchamp Stearns Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture in the MFA’s Art of Europe department), who is the organizing curator for the Boston exhibition. “The Empire style would become one of the grandest and most opulent in the history of decorative arts. Bold, saturated colors, costly and elaborately worked materials, and ornate decoration underline the splendor of Napoleon’s court and of the arts in general under the empire.”

Organized thematically, Symbols of Power begins with a look at the impact of the French Revolution on art and design, especially the use of political emblems and the new sobriety and simplicity of form typical of the arts during this turbulent time. Gone is the gilt fleur-de-lis, symbolic of the Bourbon kings, and in its place is the Phrygian cap worn by freed slaves during the Roman republic and the tricolor ribbon (blue, white, and red) worn by French citizens to show their allegiance to the ideals of the Revolution. Representative of this period is a rare surviving Revolutionary cap (1791-94, MFA, Boston) worn by members of the National Guard and decorated with triangular badges embroidered with the words “Constitution” and “Liberté.” A porcelain Sundial (1795, MFA, Boston), made at the Sèvres Manufactory, documents the brief period of the new French Republic when government leaders tried to convert timekeeping to a decimal system, whereby the day was divided into 10 equal hours, each comprising 100 minutes. After several months of confusion, the system was abandoned in April 1795.

The exhibition continues with a look at how Napoleon’s military campaigns influenced the decorative arts. Battles, such as the French victories at Marengo and Austerlitz, inspired furnishings decorated with military trophies, arms and armor such as helmets, and palms symbolizing victory. The mahogany, ebony, gilt bronze, and leather Stool in the Shape of a Pair of Crossed Sabers (ca. 1813-1814, Musée National des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau, Rueil-Malmaison) was commissioned from the imperial goldsmith and designer Martin-Guillaume Biennais for use by Napoleon’s top-ranking generals, named maréchaux de France in recognition of exceptional achievement in battle. The stool serves as contrast to the simplicity of the campaign furniture, such as the steel, iron, and copper Folding Campaign Bed (ca. 1810, Mobilier National, Paris), made for the emperor’s use during his campaigns and which he reputedly favored over his much grander palatial beds when he returned home. Firearms also figure into the exhibition in the form of an elaborate Presentation Set of Firearms (c. 1804-1805, William I. Koch collection), a wood, steel, gold, silver, ivory and tortoiseshell set presented by Napoleon to the Spanish Duke of Gravina and still in its original case.

From the battlefields to the imperial residences at Fontainebleau, Versailles, and Malmaison, Symbols of Power also offers a view of Napoleon and Josephine’s life at court. Among the masterworks in the exhibition is the silver-gilt Empress’s Nef (1804, Musée National du Château, Fontainebleau), one of a pair presented to the imperial couple as part of a magnificent dinner service by the city of Paris on the occasion of their coronation. Designed in the shape of a ship, the nef held Josephine’s personal eating utensils. Placed on the table in front of the emperor and empresses, the nefs underscored their regal status. Illustrating Napoleon’s direct involvement in commissioning works of art is his personal dessert service made at the Sèvres Manufactory, which was intended to create “pleasant memories” for the emperor by depicting scenes of countries he visited during his military campaigns, imperial palaces he lived in, or institutions he founded.

The grand spectacle of Napoleon’s court is captured in the exhibition by The Emperor’s Purple Robe (1810, Musée National du Château, Fontainebleau), a sumptuous velvet vestment exquisitely embroidered with silk, gold and silver thread, and sequins. It calls attention to a new chapter for Napoleon — the end of his marriage to Josephine and the introduction of the other important woman in life, second wife Marie-Louise of Austria (the great niece of Marie Antoinette), whom he married in 1810 to provide him with an heir. Another example of the luxury and splendor of the French court is the Parure of the Empress Marie-Louise (1810, Musée du Louvre, Paris). This parure, or set of matching jewelry, comprises a necklace, earrings, bracelets, and hair comb featuring 10 Italian glass micro-mosaics of ancient Roman ruins set in gold. The set was a gift to Marie-Louise by Napoleon on the occasion of their marriage. Also associated with Marie-Louise is a dressing table with mirror made of burr ash, gilded bronze, and white marble that had been ordered by Empress Josephine for her use at the Grand Trianon at Versailles. Unfortunately, it was delivered on December 14, 1809, the eve of her divorce from Napoleon and was, therefore, never used by Josephine, but instead by her successor. Costumes also are presented in the exhibition, including a gentleman’s wool redingote and ladies’ white muslin gowns, some with embroidery or silk accents. Often low cut and always high-waisted, these floor-length dresses took their inspiration from the loose-fitting tunics worn by women in ancient Greece and Rome, resembling in their soft pleats ancient architectural columns.

Set against a backdrop of world events, Symbols of Power concludes its survey of the Empire style in 1815, the year of Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo and his exile to the island of Saint Helena. Although this point officially brings the empire to a close, Napoleon’s impact on decorative arts was long lasting and far reaching, going beyond the borders of France to influence Europe (Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, and England) stylistically in a way that he could not do politically.

05. Dominique-Vivant Denon (French 1747-1825), Cuirasse de Napoléon (Napoleon’s cuirass), about 1805, Steel and chiseled brass, 50 x 40 cm, Musée Carnavalet, Paris (OM 3240), Courtesy of the American Federation of Arts.

Attributed to Jacob Frères (active 1796-1803), Designed by Charles Percier, Fauteuil gondola du Boudoir de l’Impéractrice à Saint Cloud (Gondola chair from Josephine Bonaparte’s Boudoir at Saint-Cloud), ca. 1802-1803, Gilded and white painted wood and red velvet, embroidered with gold, 77 x 66 x 51 cm, Musée National des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Preau, Rueil Malmaison; on deposit from the Mobilier National, Paris (MM 40.47.942; GMT 1504), Courtesy of the American Federation of Arts.

François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter (French, 1770-1841), Embroidery by Picot, Designed by Bernard Poyet (French 1742-1834), Throne, 1805 , Carved, and gilded wood, covered in red velvet with silver embroidery, 160 x 110 x 82 cm, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (14421 A), Courtesy of the American Federation of Arts.

Robert Jacques François Faust Lefèvre (1755-1830), Portrait of Napoleon I in His Coronation Robes, 1812, Oil on canvas 98-7/8 x 75-3/8", Museum of Fine Arts Boston, William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–67), Napoleon I on His Imperial Throne (Napoleon Enthroned), 1806, Oil on canvas, 260 x 163 cm, •Acquired during the August 1806 session of the Corps Législatif (now the Palais Bourbon); After the fall of the Empire, transferred to the Musée du Louvre (inc. 5420); loaned to the Hôtel des Invalides in 1832; transferred to the Musée historique de l’Armée (Musée de l’Armée from 1905) in 1897, Musée de l’Armée, Paris (inv. 4, Ea 89/1), Courtesy of the American Federation of Arts.

Sèvres Manufactory (France), After Antoine-Denis Chaudet (French, 1763–1810), Bust of Napoleon I, 1806, Front view, Hard-paste biscuit porcelain, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Randolph J. Fuller, Mrs. Caleb Loring, John L. Gardner, G. Peabody and Rose Gardner Charitable Trust, and Mary S. and Edward J. Holmes Fund, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.