The Empress Eugénie (Eugénie de Montijo, 1826–1920, Condesa de Teba)
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
36 1/2 x 29 in. (92.7 x 73.7 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Claus von Bülow Gift, 1978
Accession Number
1978.403
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the elegant profile of Empress Eugénie, née Eugénie de Montijo,esa de Teba (1826–1920), in 1854 by the masterful German portraitist Franz Xaver Winterhalter. oil on canvas, measuring 36½ x 29 inches, Eugénie at the height of her influence as consort to Napoleon III, Emperor of the French during the opulent Second Empire. Winterter, a favorite of European royalty, painted her in a classical profile view—a nod to ancient Roman coins and Renaissance medallions—emphasizing her refined beauty and noble bearing. Winterhalter's artistic prowess shines in his signature style: a glossy, enamel-...