Except perhaps for the scholars and professors of the Muséum d'histoire naturelle in Paris, no one was more interested in botany than Josephine in her lifetime. A pursuit that was both pleasant and useful, botany contributed to the enrichment of scientific knowledge as well as satisfying the Empress's taste for luxury. Josephine married caring for the rare species brought back by botanist-explorers sent on expeditions around the world with selecting plants and flowers for their beauty, colour and scent. If you look closely at the changes she made to Malmaison, it is possible to get a sense of the vision she had for the château, one closely tied to the sights and scents that perfumed her memories of her Creole childhood.
This exhibition, organised by the Musée National des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau, with the support of the Réunion des musées nationaux-Grand Palais, pays homage to Josephine's desire to make Malmaison a place of delight for visitors, who would be seduced by the beauty of its birds and the extravagance of its flowers.
Langue(s) : French