Report from Europe.

The empress and her painters

The patronage of artists and the formation of collections of art were among the obligations of royalty. Some monarchs took these duties more seriously than others did, but in one case it was also the sovereign's consort who played an active role. Empress Josephine, the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, both collected art of the past and patronized contemporary painters.

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She amassed about 450 works of quite a different sort than her husband, who favored depictions of the glorious Napoleonic period and classical mythological subjects. Josephine preferred botanical themes, pictures of exotic animals, and pastoral landscapes. She particularly liked the work of the Troubadour artists who looked to France's history for inspiration. She also bought many works painted by women. About one third of the art in her collection could be termed old master paintings, and the rest were by her contemporaries. She was not the only member of the Bonaparte family to acquire paintings, but she was unusual in combining ancient and modern works.

Josephine did not see her collection as private and indeed went to great lengths to make it known to the public. To this end she added a gallery to her favorite residence, the Chateau de Malmaison, employed a curator, and in 1811 had a catalogue published of the paintings in the gallery at Malmaison. Following her divorce from Napoleon the collection became her personal property, and after her death in 1814 it was divided between her two children.

An exhibition at the Musee national des chateaux de Malmaison et de Bois-Preau in Reuil-Malmaison, France, exploring Josephine and her collection, is on view until March 1. Entitled The Empress and Her Painters, it comprises about fifty works. The curator is Alain Pougetoux, who also wrote the accompanying illustrated catalogue, which is in French, and may be ordered by telephoning 33-1-41-29-05-55.

Buried treasure