Deux Cent Ans De Solitude
by Iryna Goodall
Title
Deux Cent Ans De Solitude
Artist
Iryna Goodall
Medium
Photograph
Description
Luxurious chamber of Josephine de Beauharnais with her original gilded wooden bed from 1812 complete with swans and imperial eagle in the Chateau de Malmaison not far from Paris.
Josephine was very fond of swans and had black swans imported from Australia to swim in her lake.
Five years after the ceremony which made Josephine an Empress, Napoleon decided to divorce her so he could produce an heir. Initially he had believed the lack of a child was a problem on his side because Josephine already had two children. Napoleon officially adopted them a year after declaring himself Emperor, when Josephine was 42.
Later the same year, one of Napoleon’s mistresses had gave birth to a son Leon (short for Napoleon). The following month, Napoleon met the young Polish countess Marie Walewska. When she became pregnant, Napoleon knew he could father a child and looked for a new Empress among the European royal families.
The divorce settlement was generous. Josephine kept the title of Empress. She was also made Duchess of Navarre and given the chateau there. Most important to Josephine was that she received in her own right the Chateau de Malmaison, her favorite residence.
Josephine died in this bed shortly before her 51st birthday. After her death, Josephine’s son Eugene had the bed transported to his chateau in Munich.
When Napoleon III bought his grandmother’s former residence in 1861 (his mother was Josephine’s daughter Hortense), he refurnished it and organized for Eugene’s widow to return the bed.
Uploaded
May 1st, 2021
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