Content
1. History of the Painting
2. The Rankings of the Female Courtiers
3. The Ladies-in-waiting
History of the Painting
The Empress Eugenie Surrounded by Her Ladies-in-waiting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1855
One of the most iconic and famous paintings by Winterhalter, it features Empress Eugenie, the wife of Emperor Napoleon III who set up the Second French Empire, and her eight ladies-in-waiting
Born in Germany, Franz Xaver Winterhalter was the portraitist for the royal courts in Europe and was the favourite painter of Empress Eugenie of the French, wife of Emperor Napoleon III. He is well-known for his fashionable portraiture of the 19th century
This painting was the evolution of Winterhalter’s Florinda [1], which was displayed in 1851 in the Great Exhibition in London, and was eventually bought by Queen Victoria.
Florinda by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1851
(Source : Royal Collection Trust)
The painting used the same arrangement in the composition and recreating a similar pastoral scene in which the influence of Watteau revives a utopian vibe. The preparatory sketch reveals the presence of another lady who left the royal service later and was not represented in the final work. In January of 1855, the number of dames du palais was raised to thirteen by decree, which emphasized the honored position of the ones included in the final painting
Sketches by Winterhalter featuring the positions of the ladies
The draft of the painting
The Rankings of the Courtiers
In the court of the Second French Empire, there were three rankings for Empress Eugenie's Ladies-in-waitings：
1. Grand-maitresse
Equivilant to Mistress of the Robes, Grand-maitresse is the highest rank of all female courtiers, and there was only one Grand-mistresse at the French Imperial Court. Her duties include to supervise all the other ladies-in-waiting and their schedule, and receive all applications from people wishing to be given an audience with the empress
2. P𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞̀𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐝'𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫
(First Lady of Honour)
There was the second rank of all ladies-in-waiting. Like Grand-maitresse, there was only one Premiere dame d'honneur in the Court, who would share duties along with the Grand-maitresse
𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐮 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐬
Initially only 6, there were 12 Dames du Palais later in the Court, and were at the position between the Première dame d'honneur and dame d'honneur
The Ladies-in-waiting in the Painting
Here are the stories of the eight ladies in the painting
Anne Debelle, Princess d' Essling (1802-1887)
Daughter of Jean-François Joseph Debelle and Marguerite Justine Deschaux, she married the amateur ornithologist Francois Victor Massena, 2nd Duke of Rivoli and 3rd Prince d'Essling, in 1823, and had four children.
Pretty and elegant, she was the Grand-Maitresse to Empress Eugénie de Montijo from 1853 to 1870. Although she did not attend court daily, she was responsible for state functions and important events, such as state dinners. It was noted that she often helped the Empress, who usually forgot the names during a banquet or event, to remind her of the names and saved her from making a blunder. She accompanied the Emperor and Empress on the state visit to Great Britain in 1857. She remained in service until the fall of the Second Empire in 1870, and was then retired from the high society life.
Jane Thorne, Baronne de Pierres (1821-1874)
[The Lady in White Dress with Blue Ribbons]
Daughter of the American millionaire Colonel Herman Thorne and Jane Mary Jauncey, Jane Mary Thorne was born in New York and her father was a well known figure in the American millionaire colony in Paris during the reign of Louis Philippe I. she married the French nobleman Eugène Stéphane de Pierres, baron de Pierres, on 7 June 1842.
Described to be a great beauty but with neurotic and shy nature, Jane was a personal friend of Empress Eugenie of the French before her marriage to the Emperor. After she married, Jane was appointed to the Household of the new Empress, and was one of her ladies-in-waiting from 1853 to 1870.
The Empress was charmed by Jane's American accents and often spoke English with her. However, Jane had a smoking habit which she always blew in to the Empress's face. She was also an excellent ride and after accompanied the Empress during riding or hunting, along with her husband, the equerry.
Louise Poitelon du Tarde, Vicomtesse de Lezay-Marnezia (1826-1891)
[The Lady in White Dress with Cerise Red Stripped Patterns and with a Black Shawl]
Daughter of Louis Gabriel Poitelon du Tarde and Louise Anne Vétillart du Ribert, Louise was married to Joseph Antoine Albert de Lezay-Marnésia in 1845
After the introduction of the Second Empire and the marriage of Emperor Napoleon III to Eugénie de Montijo, she was appointed to the Household of the new Empress, then Dame du Palais from 1853 to 1864. Her husband was appointed chamberlain to the Empress, and served as such until 1869
She requested to retire for health reasons in 1864, but remained honorary lady-in-waiting. She was by that time described as an invalid. Her place as Dame du Palais was given to Amélie Carette
Pauline de Bassano, Duchesse de Bassano (1814-1867)
[The Lady in Light Purple Dress with a Black Shawl]
Born Pauline Marie Ghislaine van der Linden d'Hooghvorst, she was the daughter of the Belgian politician Emmanuel van der Linden d'Hoogvorst. In 1843, she married the French diplomat Napoléon Hugues Charles Marie Ghislain Maret de Bassano, 3rd Duc de Bassano. Her mother-in-law, Marie Madeleine Lejéas-Carpentier, had been dame du palais to the Empresses Josephine and Marie-Louise.
In 1853, her spouse was appointed chamberlain to Emperor Napoleon III of France, while she was appointed as Dame d'honneur to the Empress, served from 1853 to 1867 until her own death. Along with the Princess d'Essling, the Mistress of the Robes, she was obliga4to attend court on grand functions, as well as receiving the applications from the women wishing to be presented at court, instruct them in etiquette, approve them and finally present them. She also supervised the other female courtiers
Being described as attractive, stable, imposing and somewhat arrogant, Pauline was described by a contemporary as "a very distinguished looking woman, had a most charming manner and performed her duties with much discretion."
Having had an apartment in the Tuileries, she hosted private functions attended by the Parisian elite, which the empress sometimes attended, and which played a valuable role in recruiting connections and supporters of value for the Third Empire regime. Upon Pauline's death, her position was replaced by Marie-Anne Walewska
Adrienne de Villeneuve-Bargemont, Comtesse de Montebello (1826-1870)
[The Lady in Dark Teal Dress with Red Ribbons on Her Hair]
Daughter of Alban Jean-Paul de Villeneuve-Bargemont and Emma de Carbonnel de Canisy, Adrienne married to Gustave Olivier Lannes de Montebello in 1846. Gustave was the fourth child of Jean Lannes, 1st Duke of Montebello, Prince of Siewierz, and his second wife Louise Antoinette, Comtesse de Guéhéneuc, who served as Mistress of the Robes to Empress Marie Louise of the French.
Adrienne was the first to be appointed as Dame du Palais to Empress Eugenie. She kept her position from 1853 to 1870. Described as charming and "one of the most agreeable women of the court", she was noted to have been a devout Catholic who had close contact with the priesthood. When she was on duty at court, the Empress often invited her son to join her, and the boy composed poems who he read to the Empress. She accompanied her spouse when he was made ambassador to Rome in 1860.
The empress was reportedly "particularly attached" to her:
"Until the close of her life the Empress bestowed upon Mme. de Montebello constant proofs of her affection and interest, and mourned her loss deeply, as that of a friend." and when she died, empress Eugenie commented that she now felt that a friend waited for her on “the other side.”
She died on 7 June 1870 after an illness which had at that point affected her for several years
Nathalie de Ségur, Baronne de Malaret (1821-1873)
[The Lady in Light Yellow Dress]
She was the daughter of Eugène Henri Raymond, Count of Ségur and Countess of Ségur. Her mother, Sofiya Feodorovna Rostopchina, was a French writer of Russian origin. In 1846, Nathalie married to the diplomat Joseph Alphonse Paul Martin d'Ayguesvives, Baron de Malaret. Their children included：Camille (1848), Madeleine (1849), Louis (1856) and Gaston d'Ayguesvives de Malaret (1862). Sofiya was very fond of her grandchildren. Among Nathalie's children, Camille was her favourite.
From 1853 to 1870, Nathalie served as Dame Du Palais to Empress Eugenie of the French. She appears not have attended court much in practice. She often accompanied her husband, who was minister to Florence, on his diplomatic missions, and consequently she did not attend court often, and in fact Amélie Carette, who was appointed reader to the empress in 1864, never saw her attend court. She was described as "elegant in manner, with a beautiful temper and having hosts of friends, as she richly deserved."
Claire Emilie MacDonnel, Vicomtesse Aguado, Marquise de Las Marismas de Guadalquivir (1817-1905)
[The Lady in Creamy-white Dress with Pink Roses in the Chest]
Daughter of Hugh MacDonnel and Ida Louise Ulrich, Claire Emilie MacDonnel married Alexandre Aguado Moreno, marquis de Las Marismas de Guadalquivir in 1841. Her first husband died in a mental asylum in 1861, and she remarried her former brother-in-law, Onésipe Aguado, vicomte Aguado in 1863.
She belonged to the personal friends of Empress Eugenie of the French, born a Spanish noble, from her upbringing. From 1853 to 1870, she served as the Dame du Palais to the Empress. She was a social success in the Parisian high society life, described as a beauty with an "ever lovely expression"and as "the most pleasant woman in Paris". She was also known as a celebrated society hostess. After the fall of the Empire, she retired from high society life as her loyalty to the former Empress made her feel it to be disloyal to participate in society life under a new administration
Anne Eve Mortier de Trévise, Marquise de Latour-Maubourg (1829-1900)
[The Lady in Steel Blue Dress and Holding a Light Yellow Hat]
Daughter of Napoléon Mortier, II. Duc de Trévise and Anne-Marie Lecomte-Stuart, and married César Florimond de Faÿ, Marquis de Latour-Maubourg in 1849, and the marriage was a happy one.
Being described by a contemporary as the "most interesting and amiable woman", her open adoration of her spouse made people tease her somewhat, and when she was at one occasion asked what she would do if her husband should be unfaithful, she replied: "I should be so astonished, I should die of sheer surprise."
She was Dame de Palais to Empress Eugenie of the French from 1853 to 1870. Empress Eugenie often selected her to accompany her on her travels and journeys and preferred her as a travelling companion. Her domestic happiness and economic security had made her life so sheltered.
Her parents both died shortly before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war, followed by her son who died in battle. Her daughter also died in childbirth shortly after the peace. This succession of blows caused her husband a deep depression, and she devoted herself to nurse him. By the time of his death, she was described as deeply pious, and reportedly wished to enter a convent
Sources :
- Wikipedia
- Fashionhistory
- Royal Collection Trust
- The Art America
(The Photos inserted are credited to the respective owners)
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