Empress Josephine in Coronation Robes

François Gérard's Empress Josephine in Coronation Robes of 1807 depicts the Empress at the height of her formal power — three years before Napoleon divorced her for failing to produce an heir — in the magnificent crimson and gold robes designed by Percier and Fontaine for the December 1804 coronation. Gérard's portrait served the Napoleonic propaganda machine that required standardized images of imperial dignity for distribution throughout the Empire's administrative territory. Josephine's beauty and elegance made her representations among the most popular of the imperial portraiture series.

Gérard renders the empress's jeweled crown, ermine-trimmed velvet mantle, and diamond jewelry with his characteristic polished elegance. The warm palette and graceful pose convey both imperial grandeur and feminine charm.