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Lot Essay
Louise Cochelet was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Hortense from around 1810. Queen Hortense was the daughter of the Empress Joséphine by her first husband Général de Beauharnais, and mother of the future Napoleon III. In 1802, she married Louis Bonaparte, brother of the Emperor and King of Holland. Nine years later, she divorced Louis and returned to Paris (see Christie's South Kensington, 15 December 1999, lot 188).
At the fall of the empire, Hortense fled Paris. Accompanied by the ever-loyal Mlle. Cochelet, she went first to Switzerland but soon had to move to Aix-en-Savoie where she had spent the years 1811-3 (see Christie's London, 6 July 1999, lot 210 and Christie's South Kensington, 15 December 1999, lot 190). She was asked to leave Aix shortly afterwards and went with Mlle. Cochelet to Constance in the State of Baden. She was authorized to stay there in 1815-6 and rented a small house with a view on the lake, where the present drawing was executed.
Early in 1817 she was forced to leave Constance and moved to the Castle of Arenenberg on the other side of the lake (see Christie's London, 6 July 1999, lot 211). She divided her time between Rome and Arenenberg, returning briefly to Paris when King Louis-Philippe came to power. Hortense died in 1837, two years after Mlle. Cochelet had left her to marry a gentleman named Paquin.
At the fall of the empire, Hortense fled Paris. Accompanied by the ever-loyal Mlle. Cochelet, she went first to Switzerland but soon had to move to Aix-en-Savoie where she had spent the years 1811-3 (see Christie's London, 6 July 1999, lot 210 and Christie's South Kensington, 15 December 1999, lot 190). She was asked to leave Aix shortly afterwards and went with Mlle. Cochelet to Constance in the State of Baden. She was authorized to stay there in 1815-6 and rented a small house with a view on the lake, where the present drawing was executed.
Early in 1817 she was forced to leave Constance and moved to the Castle of Arenenberg on the other side of the lake (see Christie's London, 6 July 1999, lot 211). She divided her time between Rome and Arenenberg, returning briefly to Paris when King Louis-Philippe came to power. Hortense died in 1837, two years after Mlle. Cochelet had left her to marry a gentleman named Paquin.