The Empress Josephine 

Henry Buquet created this portrait of The Empress Josephine. Here, Joséphine wears the trappings of her position as Empress of France during a tumultuous period of revolution and empire. Born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie in Martinique, her identity was complex. As a white Creole woman in a French colony, she was at once part of and apart from the French aristocracy. Her marriage to Napoleon Bonaparte elevated her to the highest echelons of French society, a position symbolized by the crown, necklace, and opulent gown depicted here. Yet, her race and colonial background set her apart. While the portrait exudes power and prestige, it also hints at the underlying tensions of identity, race, and class in France during this period. It is a symbol of the personal and the political. It invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between individual lives and the grand narratives of history.