Snuifdoos met het portret van Lodewijk Napoleon in uniform 1806 - 1810

Editor: Here we have a rather precious object, a snuffbox from between 1806 and 1810, adorned with a miniature portrait of Louis Napoleon in uniform. It's housed here in the Rijksmuseum. The precision is incredible. I feel it radiates a very… official mood. How do you read this piece? Curator: Official is a great word for it. It whispers of power, doesn’t it? Tiny, almost pocket-sized power! Miniatures like this were wildly popular as personal keepsakes, little portable symbols of status. And, in his sharp military garb, there is definitely this stiff kind of atmosphere around the miniature and the oval framing, as if trying to make the composition compact and concise. How does that tension, between the intimate scale and grand ambition, strike you? Editor: It’s definitely a contrast. Almost feels like putting a king in your pocket… slightly irreverent, perhaps? It looks really neat in there. Also, the ornament is excessive and really catches the eye. Curator: Irreverent… yes, I like that. A secret smirk amidst all the seriousness. But notice how the ornate gold frame – isn’t it fabulous? – pushes against the oval, fighting for attention? To me, it seems very 'empire'; full of ambition but a bit on edge. A strange time capsule indeed. Editor: So, we're looking at a portrait but also a power symbol of someone put into service. It certainly reframes my initial reaction to its mood, looking closer. Curator: Absolutely. The combination of art, craft, and politics bundled into one elegant box. Who would've thought it possible? It just goes to show how much even small artifacts can tell us.