An exceptional set of clothing belonging to the King of Rome, circa 1811
Estimate
50,000 - 80,000 EUR
Lot Details
Description
comprising:
A white dress, probably by the Veuve Minette, in cambric, trimmed with lace, topstitched over 3 cm and trimmed with lace, marked on the back with red silk thread with the number 3 under a crown
Haut. 56 cm ; height 22 in
A pair of stockings, probably woven by the Widow Minette, in white cotton thread, embroidered openwork on the top with the number 32 and embroidered towards the bottom with an imperial crown in silk thread
Haut. 42 cm ; height 16 1/2 in
A pair of small slippers, in white silk trimmed with fine silk lace, with round toes, adorned with a ribbon on the top, white leather insoles with manufacturer's labels: "Schacherer dit l'allemand, cordonnier breveté de S.M. l'Impératrice et Reine, rue Saint-Denis n°226 vis à vis celle du Petit Lion à Paris"
Long. 12 cm ; length 4 2/3 in
A large folded white cloth, woven in white cotton, embroidered in red silk thread with the number 33 under the imperial crown
The set is presented in a carved giltwood and stucco frame
158 cm x 89.5 cm; 62 1/4 x 35 1/4 in
Napoléon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte (1811-1832);
Probably countess Louise-Charlotte Françoise de Montesquiou (1765-1835), governess to the King of Rome between 1811 and 1815;
Collection of the Prince's Palace of Monaco;
Osenat, Fontainebleau, 16 November, 2014, lot 114.
La collection Pierre-Jean Chalençon - Napoléon : L’empereur sous la verrière du Grand Palais, Paris, 2018, catalogue for the 30th Biennale Paris, 8-16 September 2018, p.23
Related literature
C. Beyeler et V. Cochet, Enfance impériale, le Roi de Rome fils de Napoléon, Dijon, 2011, exhibition catalogue, Château de Fontainebleau, 26 February - 23 May 2011, p. 100 and f.
H. Verlet, "Le Roi de Rome, un enfant, un prince" in Les Cahiers de la Société des Amis & des Mécènes du Château de Fontainebleau, n°4, March 2011
La collection Pierre-Jean Chalençon - Napoléon : L’empereur sous la verrière du Grand Palais, 30th Biennale Paris, Grand Palais, 8-16 September 2018
Napoleon and the Baptism of the King of Rome
In 1810, at the height of his military and political power, Napoleon must consolidate and perpetuate his newly established dynasty while ensuring his legacy. The divorce from Empress Joséphine is finalized, Marie-Louise becomes the new Empress and soon conceives. On Sunday, June 9, 1811, the grandest celebration of the imperial reign takes place: the baptism of the King of Rome, surpassing even the Coronation in significance, as Napoleon envisions it as a dynastic enthronement.
Six months before the birth, following the practices of the Ancien Régime, Napoleon appoints the Countess de Montesquiou as “gouvernante des enfants de France .” Around Madame de Montesquiou, an entire “maison” is organized—a veritable ministry of thirty people: deputy governesses, a wet nurse and her potential substitutes, cradle rockers, wardrobe attendants, equerries, ushers, and valets. A doctor and surgeon are designated. By late 1810, the governess begins preparing the trousseau.
The layette, intended not only for the child but also for potential siblings, includes a profusion of small items, all adorned with the imperial crown. It is crafted by the widow Minette, a Parisian lingerie merchant, or by Lesueur, a lace merchant. Slippers are also delivered, followed by over 200 pairs of tiny shoes. It is customary, as it was under the Ancien Régime, for those entrusted with the Children of France to receive the discarded linens. We know that the Countess de Montesquiou, whom the King of Rome tenderly called ‘Maman Quiou’, thus inherits a significant portion of the King of Rome’s trousseau.
Some of the finest pieces from this trousseau are preserved at the Château de Fontainebleau, including a magnificent robe and ruff, a child’s woolen outfit with passementerie buttons, and several swaddling bands.