Wisdom and Strength
2020 © Maxim Tabachnik
Charles VII Ready to Fight the EnglishNapoleonic-Era Billiard RoomJoséphine’s Bed in the Tent RoomMagnolia Blossoms in the Rose GardenGarden Façade of Château de MalmaisonWisdom and StrengthEmpress Joséphine in Coronation RobesEmpire-Era Musical SalonView of Ponte Vecchio from a LoggiaJoséphine de BeauharnaisNapoleon on His DeathbedEmpress Joséphine

Wisdom and Strength

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Painted shortly after Joséphine de Beauharnais acquired the château in 1799, this ceiling fresco (early 19th c.) crowns a room that became a seat of French government during the Consulate. Depicting Wisdom and Strength amid imperial laurel motifs, it visually asserts the legitimacy and grandeur of Napoleonic power through classical ideals.