Imperial Art is pleased to announce that the prestigious National Ceramics Museum of Sèvres has acquired from the gallery an allegorical drawing representing the marriage of the Emperor Napoleon with Marie-Louise of Austria. This Wedgwood-style decoration project had been specially produced for the Sèvres factory by Alexandre-Evariste FRAGONARD (1780-1850), one of the most brilliant decorative arts artists under the Empire. Coming from the famous Brouwet collection, this drawing completes a remarkable series entirely dedicated to the Napoleonic epic, of which the Manufacture's archives hold the main corpus.
This work was acquired by the Musée de Sèvres on our stand during the 2022 edition of the TEFAF Maastricht Art Fair.
Alexandre-Evariste FRAGONARD. 1780-1850. Painter.
Allegory of the Marriage of Napoleon and Marie-Louise. (1810)
Drawing in pencil, pen and wash with gouache highlights on a blue background, captioned “A la plus belle, Au plus grand” with the number “MN”.
Size: 22 x 30 sous marie-louise, gilt wood frame.
Allegory of the marriage of Napoleon and Marie-Louise representing Peace uniting the imperial couple surrounded by Cupids bearing on either side the eagle coats of arms of the French Empire and the House of Austria. The marriage, which was celebrated with great pomp on April 1 and 2, 1810, was a pivotal date in the history of the Empire, ensuring the continuity and legitimacy of the new dynasty founded by Napoleon. This drawing is part of a series of decorative projects in the style of Wedgwood, produced for the Sèvres factory; this remarkable series, entirely dedicated to the Napoleonic epic, included in particular a frieze representing the "Triumph of Napoleon", the "twelve labors of the Emperor Napoleon", the "six Napoleonic acts", From the former Brouwet collection, our drawing remains one of the most representative of this series, and probably the only one still in private hands, most of the series being preserved or having been recently acquired by the Museum of Sèvres.
A pupil of his father, Alexandre-Evariste Fragonard very early entered David's studio, whose influence is particularly noticeable in his historical compositions unfolding in a frieze like bas-reliefs. The artist distinguished himself particularly under the Empire in the decorative arts and is one of the best artists who collaborated with the imperial factory of Sèvres.
Provenance: Former Emile Brouwet collection, inventory number NAP 8-2.
Related works: “Marriage or the Napoleonic dynasty”, drawing belonging to the “Six Acts of the Emperor”, INV- 2012.1.5839