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Queen Hortense
Andrieu, Bertrand, born 1761 - died 1822 - Enlarge image
Queen Hortense
- Object:
Medal
- Place of origin:
Paris (made)
- Date:
1813 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Andrieu, Bertrand, born 1761 - died 1822 (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Struck silver
- Credit Line:
Given by Jack E. Ladevèze
- Museum number:
A.20-2005
- Gallery location:
In Storage
This medal, together with five others (A.18-2005-A.22-2005)was issued by the Paris Mint between 1808 and 1813 and all are based on ancient Greek coins, offering an insight into the 'after life' of commemorative medals. They appear to have been collected together and the backs modified, with a bar attached to turn them into buttons. It may be that they were intended to be worn prominently on a garment to indicate the wearer's devotion to Napoleon Bonaparte and his female relatives.
This one shows Hortense Bonaparte (née de Beauharnais), Queen Consort of Holland (1783-1837), the wife of Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland. Hortense was born in Paris, the daughter of Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais (executed in 1794) and of his wife Josephine who later married Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1802, at Napoleon's request, Hortense married his brother Louis Bonaparte. They had three sons, one of whom was Napoleon III, Emperor of the French.
