Among the top lots was a painting of Napoleon by Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse, which sold for 20 times its estimate at $1 million.

Two centuries after his downfall, Napoleon remains both revered and controversial in France — but above all, unavoidable.

Josephine acquiesces, afraid that Napoleon will find out about her infidelity. Later, when Antonin tries to tell her he has no choice, she threatens to destroy him.

As such a fine fabric was unheard of and seldom seen in the West—it captivated the likes of Queen Marie Antoinette, Empress Joséphine Bonaparte, and the esteemed author Jane Austen.

The connection was made explicit by Térézia in a portrait she commissioned of herself. She is shown as a prisoner in La Force, her cropped hair now neatly styled, and the coarse linen shift reimagined ...

Thus, the fabric earned the name ‘Baft Hawa’, which translates to ‘Woven Air’. The lightness of Dhaka Muslin made it a prized fabric among royalty around the world, including the Mughal emperors, ...

Life took an unexpected turn for Josephine when, in the very same October, she met a rising military leader from Corsica named Napoleon Bonaparte. Despite being six years younger than her, Napoleon ...

Anne Higonnet’s newest book elevates the role of Juliette Récamier, Térézia Tallien and Joséphine Bonaparte in freeing women from confining styles.

For her coronation, Napoleon had Joséphine wear clothes “weighted with emphatically French gold-metal-thread embroidery and a dense red velvet train.” The outfit marked the end of an era.