Italy, 19th century / 1810–12
Portrait of Napoléone Elisa Baciocchi, Niece of Napoleon I
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Portrait of Napoléone Elisa Baciocchi, Niece of Napoleon I as sculpture (Italy, 19th century · 1810–12).
Felice Pasquale Baciocchi, the father of the subject of this sculpture, was an avid violinist and studied with violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini for a decade.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this sculpture as marble and credits Lorenzo Bartolini (Italian, 1777–1850).
The museum's collection notes: To extend power across the continent, Napoleon arranged for his sisters to marry into the courts of Europe. The sitter is his niece, daughter of the Grand-Duke of Tuscany (the bee on her cup is a Napoleonic emblem). While the girl’s nakedness might startle us today, in the early 1800s depicting children nude emphasized their purity and innocence. The work takes its cues from ancient sculpture, and while the pet dog adds a note of tenderness, it also refers to Diana, goddess of the moon and hunt.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPortrait of Napoléone Elisa Baciocchi, Niece of Napoleon IOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.