Eugénie, Empress of the French c. 19th century

Editor: This is George Baxter's portrait of Eugénie, Empress of the French. It's quite lovely, but also looks like she's posing for a magazine cover. What can you tell me about the public's relationship with royal portraiture in this period? Curator: Baxter's print offered mass access to the Empress’s image. These images played a crucial role in constructing and disseminating an idea of Imperial power and feminine beauty. What does it mean to have an image so widely available? Editor: I guess it made her more relatable, but maybe also more scrutinized? It's like an early form of celebrity culture. Curator: Precisely. The photograph transforms her into an object of public consumption, blurring the lines between royalty and celebrity. Editor: That makes perfect sense. I hadn't considered how distribution affects perception. Curator: These reproductions democratized the image, altering the power dynamics between the monarchy and the public.