Josephine and her Ladies at Malmaison (1866)

Jean-Louis Victor Viger: Josephine and her Ladies at Malmaison

The Divorce of Empress Josephine (1846)

Henri-Frederic Schopin: The Divorce of Empress Josephine, 15th December 1809

Portrait of the Empress Joséphine (1808)

François Gérard: Portrait of the Empress Joséphine

The Empress Josephine (1806)

Robert Lefèvre: The Empress Josephine

Portrait of the Empress Josephine (1805)

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.

Portrait of the Empress Josephine (1801)

This is François Gérard's famous Portrait of the Empress Josephine.

This portrait of Josephine, wife of Napoleon, First Consul of France, represents a new type of more accessible portrait, lacking in official pomp. The First Lady is seen in relaxed pose, with thoughtful gaze, on the open terrace of the palace at Malmaison as she perhaps takes a rest after a walk. The park landscape and bunch of flowers on the divan create an atmosphere of sentimental poetry, emphasizing the inner state of the sitter, which was so typical of the Romantic period. Yet the idealisation of the sitter, the static composition built upon a balance of horizontal and vertical lines, and the classical style of the dress and hairstyle are very much within the traditions of Neoclassicism. This painting is held by the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia; the preceding description is from their web site.

The artist, François Gérard, was a prominent and prolific painter. Born of a middle-class family, his artistic exploits resulted in him being granted noble status in 1809 (after which he was often known as Baron Gérard). He was yet another student of Jacques-Louis David.

Portrait of Josephine (1800)

Here is Pierre-Paul Prud'hon's Portrait of Josephine de Beauharnais. 

Prud'hon (1758-1823) is variously described as a Romantic and Neoclassic painter; he was much taken with figure drawing, and some of these will later be featured. 

This was not Prud'hon's only painting of Josephine. At the time of this painting, she was not yet Empress Josephine. A later painting by Prud'hon of Empress Josephine is much better known than this one.

About the tumultuous life of Josephine much has been written. Some good synopses are here and here; those desiring a more leisurely treatment may want to read Sandra Gulland's trilogy about her, beginning with The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (I can attest that these books are all good, if you like historical fiction.)