Portrait en pied de l'Imperatrice Eugénie

In 1853 Winterhalter was invited to Paris to paint the Empress Eugénie's portrait. Despite having been a court painter for the previous dynasty, Winterhalter was readily employed by Napoleon III. The Emperor ignored past loyalties and commissioned the best artistic talents of the day, often to paint at the famous week-long parties held at Compiègne. Winterhalter was the first artist to be bestowed with this honour, most likely due to the state portraits he had just completed. The whereabouts of the original portraits of the Emperor and Empress are unknown, however, copies were made at the request of préfectures, consulates and embassies. The present work numbers amongst these; another example hangs in the Château de Beloeil.