Author Description

The dazzling splendors of the court of Napoleon I (1769-1821) reflected the grandeur and ambitions of the greatest empire of the day. This luxurious volume re-creates the ambiance and captures the spirit that prevailed in the French court during the empire through the material manifestations of the Imperial Household. The imperial household, a key institution during Napoleon's reign, was responsible for the daily lives of the imperial family. It consisted of six departments, each headed by a high-ranking dignitary of the empire: the grand chaplain, grand master of ceremonies, grand marshal of the palace, grand master of the hunt, grand chamberlain, and grand equerry - each intimately involved with every moment of pageantry in the court. Featured here are more than 250 works of fine and decorative art, the visual magnificence of which was part of a calculated and deliberate effort to fashion a monarchic identity for the new emperor.