The Hope of Posterity: The Emperor, Empress, and King of Rome
Medium
Etching with engraving in black on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 33.2 × 42 cm (13 1/8 × 16 9/16 in.); Plate: 41.8 × 48.1 cm (16 1/2 × 18 15/16 in.); Sheet: 42.4 × 49.1 cm (16 3/4 × 19 3/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82247
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Napoleon’s beloved first wife, the Empress Josephine, bore him no children. Marie-Louise, whom he married in 1810 after divorcing Josephine, promptly produced an heir in early 1811. This optimistically titled print implies that the infant lying asleep in an ostentatious, eagle-themed cradle would succeed his father. The domestic composition overlooks Napoleon’s frequent military absences as well as the escalating battles against the English that would lead to his exile by 1814.
Art Historical Context
In the grand tradition of Napoleonic propaganda, Adrien Pierre François Godefroy's *The Hope of Posterity The Emperor, Empress, King of Rome* (1811/12) captures a pivotal moment of imperial ambition. Created during the height of Napoleon's empire, etching depicts the French Emperor Napoleon I, his second wife Empress Marie-Louise, and their infant son, Napoleon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte—proclaimed King of Rome at birth in 1811 as a symbol of dynastic continuity. The title evokes the regime's fervent hope for a lasting Bonaparte legacy, amid the lavish celebrations that marked the heir's arrival. Godefroy, a skilled French printmaker, employed etching combined with engraving on fine ivory wove paper, allowing for intricate lines and tonal depth that conveyed regal splendor. Etching's fluid spontaneity paired with engraving's precision made such prints ideal for mass reproduction, disseminating imperial imagery across Europe to bolster public loyalty and prestige. Measuring about 33 x 42 cm, this work from the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings collection exemplifies how visual culture reinforced Napoleon's cult of personality during a time of military triumphs and political maneuvering. Today, it offers a window into the era's blend of Enlightenment rationalism and monarchical revival, reminding us how art served power in the early 19th century.