The Empress Josephine

This 1807 version of the Empress Josephine, held in the Wallace Collection, differs from the celebrated 1805 Louvre canvas in format and context and was likely made as either a reduced version for private use or an independently conceived portrait from the same campaign of sittings. The Wallace Collection's holding of this work reflects Richard Seymour-Conway's sustained acquisition of French art and furnishings, which made the collection a comprehensive representation of French taste from the Ancien Régime through the Empire period. Joséphine remained an appealing subject for artists even after the imperial divorce of 1809, and Prud'hon's soft, sympathetic approach to her likeness made his portrait the definitive image of her for much of the nineteenth century.

Comparison with the 1805 Louvre version allows close examination of how Prud'hon adjusted his approach across different formats and contexts. The Wallace version likely reduces the elaborate landscape setting in favor of a more concentrated three-quarter or half-length composition, focusing more intensively on the sitter's face and dress. The soft modeling technique is consistent across both versions.