| Popis: |
In 1799, Joséphine de Beauharnais, recently married to General Napoléon Bonaparte, negotiated the purchase of Malmaison, a country house located twelve kilometers outside Paris. For the next fifteen years, Joséphine transformed her garden into an extensive working farm and center dedicated to botanical study. Debunking the perception that Joséphine entertained a nostalgic passion for the fruits and flowers of her native Martinique, Chapter 3 argues that she crafted a sophisticated program that supported Napoléon’s colonial ambitions in the Atlantic and the Pacific. Joséphine commissioned lavish folio botanical illustrations of her collections, creating a paper legacy of her accomplishments that was critical for following generations of women gardeners, illustrators, and artists. |
