François Flameng, Festive Reception at Château de Malmaison, 1802, c. 1894. Oil on canvas, 106 x 139 cm © State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
If you’re in Amsterdam anytime between now and November 8, 2015, then pay a visit to the Hermitage Amsterdam to see their current exhibition Alexander, Napoleon and Joséphine. It paints a story about friendship, war and art, and takes you to the time of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Joséphine was Napoleon Bonaparte’s great love and, during their stormy marriage, she was introduced to Tsar Alexander I, Napoleon’s friend and foe. Discover more about these two great rulers and the special woman Joséphine through the selection of paintings, sculptures, dresses, uniforms and weapons on display. The exhibition also includes a great deal of Joséphine’s art collection, comprising various works by famous Dutch and Italian masters.
What’s more, the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam also pays tribute to the empress with the exhibition Josephine – An Empire in a Garden, which shows her passion for collecting and breeding rare flowers and plants. (Until October 18, 2015)
K.A. Shevelkin after François Gérard, Portrait of Tsar Alexander I, 1810–30. Oil on canvas, 253 x 169 cm © State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
Joséphine (homepage)
François Gérard, Portrait of Empress Josephine, 1801. Oil on canvas, 178 x 174 cm © State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
