Napoleonic Pleasures

William Wordsworth’s sonnets to Andreas Hofer which contributed to the romanticisation of the innkeeper’s image and the legend surrounding the insurrection.

Music of the First Empire In preparation for the second atelier de la Fondation Napoléon, which will discuss music in everyday life, napoleon.org has assembled a number of links where you can listen to some First Empire music. NB: all links are external. Free online streaming: full tracks – Paisiello: Musiques pour le chapelle de Napoléon Bonaparte, Messe […]

Burial of Sir John Moore, 1809 A Metrical History of the life and times of Napoleon Bonaparte by William J. Hillis, pp208-209 “Sir John Moore could no doubt have made terms with Marshal Soult, whereby he would have been permitted to embark his troops under very reasonable conditions; but he chose to ask no favours from […]

Two influences on male fashion Under the Empire, the male figure is solid, but still just as elegant as its female counterpart. A black frockcoat sits on the shoulders, and a white cravat is knotted around the neck. He wears a pair of pumps (without heel) and finally a top-hat or bicorne adorns the head. […]

The female outfit during the First Empire Paris was the fashion capital during the Consulate and Empire. While it is true that a “good taste” in clothing was founded on the preferences of those in power, fashion was also a movement that belonged to a certain elite that was trying to forget the dark days […]

Réjouissance musicale sur le Siège de Sébastopol