An Allegory of Empress Josephine as Patroness of the Gardens at Malmaison
In this watercolor, Gérard pays homage to Napoleon’s first wife, Josephine, as a patron of horticulture. He shows the goddess Flora adorning a bust of the empress with a garland of flowers. The background features the great glasshouse on the grounds of Malmaison, constructed to protect Josephine’s collection of exotic plants and serve as a space for entertaining guests. Appointed premier peintre (first painter) to the Empress Josephine in 1806, Gérard enjoyed success along with a reputation as a portrait painter for the Bonaparte family and their entourage that surpassed even that of his teacher Jacques Louis David.
Artwork Details
- Title: An Allegory of Empress Josephine as Patroness of the Gardens at Malmaison
- Artist: baron François Gérard (French, Rome 1770–1837 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1805–6
- Medium: Watercolor and pen and black ink, over black chalk underdrawing on paper, laid down on board
- Dimensions: 5 3/8 x 8 7/16 in. (13.7 x 21.4 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Guy Wildenstein Gift, 2003
- Object Number: 2003.134
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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