Year of the bicentenary obliges, the year 2021 was for the Imperial Art gallery, rich in objects and exceptional paintings. Also, it is a great pride to see that several of them have joined the collections of major French museums.

We will first note this porcelain plate, exceptional in its dimensions and made by Louis-Bertin Parant (1761-1851), the most eminent representative in his art; he

reproduced with great finesse, the famous painting of the Vendée chef Henri de La Rochejaquelein by Guérin. It was natural for this plaque to join the Vendée museum.

Another major acquisition, unanimously approved by the National Museums Commission, is a milk jug by Napoleon III's goldsmith, Maurice Mayer (1801-1864), which completes the neo-Greek style service at the Museum of Orsay, former Rudi Kieger collection.

Women artists were honored with two pieces: the portrait of Pascal Paoli by the porcelain miniaturist Sophie Liénard (1801-1875), who joined the Paoli Museum in Corsica; and the portrait of major surgeon Souberbielle, by Adèle Romany (1769-1846), acquired by the Gendarmerie Museum, a first for this former institution.

Last but not least, a sumptuous porcelain bowl decorated with allegorical figures of the birth of the King of Rome, by the imperial factory of Sèvres, will now be exhibited at the Musée Napoléon 1er at the Château de Fontainebleau. This rich purple cup was intended for the godmother of the heir to the Empire in 1811. In the end, it was Napoleon himself who presented this porcelain jewel to Empress Marie-Louise during their visits to Sèvres, the day before the baptism of the King of Rome.

The rediscovery of this superb porcelain, the result of extensive archival research carried out by the gallery, will be the subject of a forthcoming scientific and historical publication, in close collaboration with the Château de Fontainebleau.

We cannot thank enough the institutions that have trusted us and commit us to work more for the enrichment of our cultural heritage.

Acquisition of the Gendarmerie Museum

December 2021