Josephine, Empress of France

The French painter Hippolyte De La Roche, known as Paul Delaroche (1797–1856), was renowned for his academic historical paintings. He created the miniature image of Empress Josephine after the parade portrait created by François Pascal Simon, Baron Gérard (1770 –1837). F. Gerard was similarly known for his portraits in which he very subtly conveyed the beauty of women. Many of the most famous figures posed for him, not just among the French but also from all of Europe. P. Delaroche gave the miniature image of the empress a sense of homely simplicity, enhancing it with a light, transparent shawl covering the head and shoulders.