Focus on this artwork and explain the History.
The painting was commissioned by Joséphine, who was accompanying Napoleon in his Italian Campaign. Painted in Naples in 1796. Napoleon could reportedly not sit still for extended periods of time as a model for the portrait, Joséphine solved this by allowing Napoleon to sit in her lap and embracing him for the duration required by Gros. The painting passed through the collections of Napoleon himself and of Napoleon III before being sequestered after the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870. It was then reacquired by Napoleon III's wife Eugénie de Montijo in 1871, who eight years later gave it to the Louvre (now inventory number RF271). It passed to the château de Compiègne in 1901, then finally the Palace of Versailles in 1938 (inventory number MV 6314).
Napoleon Palace of Versailles Joséphine Versailles château de Compiègne Italian Campaign Louvre Second French Empire Napoleon III Eugénie de Montijo