The Empress surrounded by her maids of honour
Compiègne, Musée du Second Empire
Portrait painter to the courts of Europe, Winterhalter became the official painter of the imperial couple. In this exceedingly famous painting, he took his inspiration from 18th-century bucolic scenes and set the sovereign and her attendants in a shady forest clearing. And yet despite the rustic background, the ladies are wearing their finest ball gowns, giving Winterhalter an excellent opportunity to show off his virtuosity in the representation of material. It is the silk, the tulle, the muslin, the taffeta, the lace and the ribbons which are the real subject of this picture/hymn to the glory of the crinoline. And yet, whilst the portraits are lacking in psychological depth, the work gives a good impression of the pomp of court life. Indeed, it was this ‘show’ which was seen for the first time during the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1855, the first major public appearance of the imperial regime and a significant step towards its international recognition. Exhibited in the Salon d’honneur, Winterhalter’s painting was discreetly (because of the censor) panned by the critics, but it received enormous public acclaim at the time and is still greatly loved today.