Napoleon III, after Franz-Xaver Winterhalter

The two original portraits of the Emperor and Empress, presented by Franz-Xaver Winterhalter at the 1855 Salon, disappeared from the Tuileries Palace during the Paris Commune; the palace was left in ruins following the fire of May 1871. These two portraits have remained famous thanks to the numerous copies produced to adorn official buildings. Between 1855 and 1870, the State commissioned and installed some 540 portraits of Napoleon III and nearly 400 of Eugénie, based on Winterhalter’s models. The copies were produced in two versions: full-length and bust.  

The Second Empire saw the artist’s rise to prominence, a recognition that had already been confirmed by his appointment to the Legion of Honour in 1839. The Count of Nieuwerkerke, then Superintendent of Fine Arts, whose unofficial partner, Princess Mathilde, was a cousin of Napoleon III, undoubtedly facilitated Winterhalter’s introduction to the court at the Tuileries. Winterhalter’s painting style appealed to Eugénie—a ‘coquettish and brilliant’ style, akin to that of the English according to Théophile Gautier—which had the advantage of being able to conceal even the slightest imperfection.

He thus painted the ceremonial portraits of the imperial couple in 1853, with the Emperor’s portrait serving as a companion piece to Eugénie’s portrait at the 1855 Salon. Unlike the portrait of Louis-Philippe, that of Napoleon III reintroduced the ermine cloak and throne typical of traditional royal portraits, complemented by the red velvet curtain and the presence of regalia. He is, however, depicted in the uniform of a Major General and wearing the Legion of Honour, emphasising his intention to revive the glorious days of his uncle’s reign, Napoleon^I. The bees, Napoleonic emblems, have disappeared; the imperial eagles are barely visible on the crown; but the most significant allusion to the First Empire lies in the throne placed in the background, which resembles that of Napoleon^I. In the background, one can make out the façade of the Tuileries Palace, the seat of imperial power.

As the portrait of the sovereign circulated throughout France and Europe, Franz-Xaver Winterhalter enjoyed an international career. The Russian community in Paris helped to perpetuate this fashion, in particular Duchess Sophie de Morny, Napoleon III’s sister-in-law (née Troubetskoï), who had her portrait painted three times by the artist. Among the most famous portraits is that of the aunt of the composer Rimsky-Korsakov (Paris, Musée d’Orsay). In Poland, it was the Potocki family who brought the painter to prominence, but prominent figures from the German states also had their portraits painted by their compatriot: the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, Prince Ernest of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Grand Duchess Louise of Baden. Finally, the Austro-Hungarian monarchs Franz Joseph and Elisabeth were also portrayed by the artist, who produced inspiring images that served as the inspiration for the character of ‘Sissi’.

Franz-Xaver Winterhalter and the Courts of Europe, 1830–1870, exhibition catalogue, Muséedu Petit Palais, 1988.

Franz-Xaver Winterhalter, Court Portraits: BetweenSplendourandElegance, exhibition catalogue, Musée du Palais de Compiègne, 30 September 2016–15 January 2017, Paris, Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 2016.

Marie-Noëlle Maynard, entry ‘Portrait of Napoleon III’ [after Franz Xaver Winterhalter], in *Armand Barbès and the Revolution of 1848* [exhibition catalogue Carcassonne, Museum of Fine Arts, 6 November 1998–2 February 1999], [no place]: [no publisher], 1998.

Cécile Raynaud, entry ‘Portrait of Napoleon III’ [by Franz Xaver Winterhalter], in Berlioz. The Voice of Romanticism [exhibition catalogue: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, 17 October 2003 – 18 January 2004], Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, 2003.