This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions), and as such we offer a high-resolution image of it. See our image rights statement.
See more objects with the color tan peru sienna antiquewhite or see all the colors for this object.
Object Timeline
|
1920 |
|
|
1991 |
|
|
2011 |
|
|
2013 |
|
|
2014 |
|
|
2025 |
|
Drawing, Embroidery Design Commemorating the Marriage of Napoleon I and Marie-Louise of Austria
This is a Drawing. It was attributed to Jean-François Bony and made for Fabrique de Saint Ruf. It is dated ca. 1810 and we acquired it in 1920. Its medium is brush and white gouache on laid paper, coated with resin, joined. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.
Napoleon's Other Wife
Though most people only know of his first wife Joséphine, Napoleon I of France was married twice during his lifetime. Napoleon and Joséphine were married on March 9, 1796. Their marriage was a strained one, due to Napoleon’s extensive travel and their inability to have children. Though their correspondence shows that they had once cared for one another, by 1809, Napoleon was looking to divorce Joséphine and wed another woman who could offer him money and children. He chose Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria, daughter of Emperor Francis I of Austria, and great-niece to Marie Antoinette. In 1810, they were wed and, by all accounts, quite pleased with one another and their union. The Embroidery Design under discussion was commissioned around this time as a commemoration of this occasion.
The design was likely meant for a chair back or wall hanging and is, in many ways, a superb example of French empire style. During and after the French Revolution, Napoleon had risen steadily through the ranks of the military, culminating in his being crowned Emperor in 1804. As he was not of royal blood, it was exceedingly important that he create and implement motifs which could be used in place of heraldic, royal imagery. He quickly adopted Roman empirical motifs including eagles, laurels, bees, and stars – many of which can be seen in this design. Often, Napoleon’s initials, or cipher, were displayed on his personal furniture. In the center of this design are the intertwined initials 'N' and 'M'. In spite of this commemorative object, very few of the pieces that Marie-Louise received as Empress were commissioned in her honor. Several objects, including an embroidered velvet mantel, a lavishly decorated state bedchamber, and jewelry had been commissioned for Joséphine, but were returned to the state and used by Marie-Louise.
This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Napoleon's Other Wife.
This object was
donated by
Eleanor Garnier Hewitt and Sarah Cooper Hewitt.
It is credited Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt.
- Surtout De Table (Table Centerpiece) (France)
- cast and gilt bronze with hand engraving, cut glass, silvered-mirrored glass.
- Bequest of the Reverend Alfred Duane Pell.
- 1991-31-1-a/ww
- Medallion (France)
- linen.
- Bequest of Richard Cranch Greenleaf in memory of his mother, Adeline Emma....
- 1962-50-317
- Portrait Medallion of Napoleon I Portrait Medallion
- hard paste biscuit, gold, metal.
- Bequest of Sarah Cooper Hewitt.
- 1931-6-35
Our curators have highlighted 2 objects that are related to this one.
- Print, Salle éxécuté au Chateau Malmaison (Room Designed for Chateau...
- etching on cream wove paper.
- Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council.
- 1921-6-377-56
- Drawing, A Salon in Restoration Taste
- brush and watercolor, gouache on white wove paper.
- Thaw Collection.
- 2007-27-6
Its dimensions are
62.2 x 48.9 cm (24 1/2 x 19 1/4 in.) Mat: 71.1 x 55.9 cm (28 x 22 in.) Frame H x W x D: 75.6 x 60 x 2.5 cm (29 3/4 in. x 23 5/8 in. x 1 in.)
It has the following markings
Stamped in black ink, upper right: Museum for the Arts of Decoration, Cooper Union.
Cite this object as
Drawing, Embroidery Design Commemorating the Marriage of Napoleon I and Marie-Louise of Austria; Attributed to Jean-François Bony (French, 1754–1825); Made for Fabrique de Saint Ruf; France; brush and white gouache on laid paper, coated with resin, joined; 62.2 x 48.9 cm (24 1/2 x 19 1/4 in.) Mat: 71.1 x 55.9 cm (28 x 22 in.) Frame H x W x D: 75.6 x 60 x 2.5 cm (29 3/4 in. x 23 5/8 in. x 1 in.); Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt; 1920-36-327
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibitions Hewitt Sisters Collect and The Cooper-Hewitt Collections: A Design Resource.
