This lavishly illustrated volume explores the ways in which Napoleon's consort, "the incomparable Josephine," made use of art and patronage in the fashioning of her royal identity. Josephine (1763-1814) was a prominent public figure, an arbiter of taste, and one of the most popular French consorts, but only in recent years have scholars begun to assign her any significant political and cultural authority. Josephine played a vital role in the emperor's rise to power, and she made significant contributions to his propagandistic exploitation of the visual arts. "The Empress Josephine: Art and Royal Identity" contributes to the current reassessment of the empress, adding new insights about her patronage, influence, and status in the political and cultural life of her times. Carol Solomon Kiefer explores the image and iconography of the empress in official and unofficial portraits as well as in British caricatures and French popular prints, miniatures, sculpture, and decorative arts. Josephine's collecting interests and patronage are examined - from horticulture, botanical illustration, and the design of her garden at Malmaison to fashion, commemorative projects, and contemporary art, including women artists and the painters of the Troubadour style. Other key themes include Josephine's role as a collector, her promotion of the medieval revival of the early nineteenth century, and her place in the celebrated painting of the coronation by Jacques-Louis David. Additional essays by Bernard Chevallier and Alain Pougetoux provide a brief history of Malmaison and a discussion of Josephine's collection of paintings and her role as patron.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Carol Solomon Kiefer, a specialist in nineteenth-century French art, is curator of European art at the Mead Art Museum, Amherst College. She is the author of The Myth and Madness of Ophelia among other books.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Credit where credit is due,
This review is from: The Empress Josephine: Art & Royal Identity (Paperback)
Capitalizing on the interest in the Napoleonic period arising from the 200th anniversary of the coronation of the emperor and empress, the exhibition will explore the ways in which Josephine, like Napoleon, made use of art and patronage in the fashioning of her royal identity--the book The Empress Josephine : Art & Royal Identity--could not have come to fruition if it were not with my endless design, edits with Carol Kiefer.The Empress Josephine: Art and Royal Identity, 116 pages contains 69 color plates and many more color and black & white images. Reproduction permissions had to be obtained from all over the world. 4 inch cover flaps, translucent end papers. "I am especially indebted to Donna Abelli, the designer of the catalog. I thank her for her hard work, creative energy, and tireless spirit." -Author Carol Solomon Kiefe
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
