Portret van een Napoleon Jozef Karel Paul Bonaparte 1855 - 1865

This portrait of Napoleon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte was made by Charles Reutlinger, likely in Paris. The photograph is a calling card, popular in the mid-19th century, used as a social and political tool. The image presents Napoleon's nephew, a figure attempting to navigate the shifting sands of French politics, carrying the weight of his family name. It's important to understand the Bonapartes' complicated relationship with the French Republic and the ways the family manipulated public imagery to retain influence. Napoleon III, the subject’s uncle, used his family name to become president, then emperor. This photograph, made during a later period of republicanism, raises the question, what political message was this Bonaparte trying to send? Historians examine studio records, newspapers, and personal papers to reveal how individuals and institutions used photographs to negotiate the ever-changing political landscape. The meaning we find in this image is contingent upon its social and institutional context.