Pierre-Paul Prud'hon: Portrait of the Empress Josephine
Here is Prud'hon's famous portrait of Josephine. He had a close relationship with the imperial family, doing a number of portraits of them and being Josephine's drawing teacher. This portrait of her was considered so flattering that some took it as evidence that Prud'hon was in love with her. By the time of this portrait, Josephine and Napoleon were already beginning to be estranged, which probably accounts for the traces of melancholy in her countenance. This painting clearly anticipates a more Romantic style of painting. The scene depicted is in the landscape of the park at Malmaison (which Josephine herself had created and which was very dear to her heart) - an allusion to the empress's passion for botany. The atmosphere is also very Rousseau-ian, with nature portrayed as a refuge, a friend, a confident, and also mirror of the soul.
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