For the Good of the Nation
artist
Francesco Didioni
(Milan, 1859 - 1895, Stresa)
engraver
Alberto Maso Gilli
(1840 - 1894)
Dateabout 1881
Place MadeItaly, Europe
MediumEtching on Chine collé
Dimensions34 x 47.3 cm (13 3/8 x 18 5/8 in.)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberP17s13
eMuseum ID725711
EmbARK ObjectID12275
Previous Number1F17s4-s
TMS Source ID1408
Last Updated8/9/24
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryWhile attending finishing school in Paris during the 1850s, Isabella Stewart Gardner was captivated by French literature, culture, and history. Of particular note is her interest in the former French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. This etching by Francesco Didioni, aptly titled For the Good of the Nation, depicts the divorce of Napoleon and his wife Josephine. In 1809, Napoleon informed Josephine that--in the interest of France--he must divorce her in order to find a wife that could give him an heir. Although he promptly remarried, which resulted in a male heir, Napoleon insisted that Josephine retain the title of empress and remained dedicated to her the rest of his life. Her name is said to be the final word he spoke on his deathbed in 1821.
BibliographyNotesKathleen King,"Relics of an Emperor: Napoleon Bonaparte," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 9 August 2022, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/relics-emperor-napoleon-bonaparte-gardner-museum
MarksNotesSigned in plate (lower left): F. Didioni
Inscribed in plate (lower left): F. Didioni dip.
Inscribed in plate (lower center): Ragione Di Stato / C. Lovera imp
Inscribed (lower right): A. Gilli inc.
Inscribed in plate (lower left): F. Didioni dip.
Inscribed in plate (lower center): Ragione Di Stato / C. Lovera imp
Inscribed (lower right): A. Gilli inc.
ProvenanceNotesEntered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection at an unknown date.
