Whether French or international collectors, everyone has their reasons for wanting to appropriate a part of the myth of Napoleon Bonaparte. Some say they are passionate about his history, others admire his strategic spirit, while others are attached to the patriotic dimension.
The public's enthusiasm for the warlord continues, as evidenced by the sale of his imperial throne at Osenat in April 2019, for €500,000, and the record set in May 2018 at Christie's for his porcelain service from Sèvres, which was auctioned for €1.6 million at the Rockefeller sale. The auction house had said that besides the name of its illustrious last owner (Rockefeller), which was already enough to raise the stakes, the Napoleonic provenance of the object was the main factor in the soaring price.
What's interesting about Napoleon at auction is the variety of his objects that appear in the auction rooms. They are steeped in history and offer a journey into the life of their owner at the time. The engagement ring offered by Napoleon to Joséphine de Bauharnais in 1796, for example, is a direct witness to his romantic life, which found a buyer for €730,000 in 2013 at Osenat. La Régente pearl, bought by the Emperor in 1811 for his second wife Marie-Louise, sold for €2.9 million at Christie's in 2005, and remains one of the most expensive pearls in the world.
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“Between Christ and the Beatles, there is Napoleon,” jokes Maître Osenat, director of the eponymous auction house in Fontainebleau. "His life is symbolic, it is the story of an intelligent man who started from nothing, who becomes the master of the world for a short time." If his rise and reign are spectacular, the story of his fall and exile adds to the legend. "We are not in the nostalgia of a frozen royalty, but in the memory of an active person, who still has an impact today, and with whom we can identify", explains the auctioneer during an interview. Some businessmen admit to drawing inspiration from his tireless spirit of conquest.
It is notably thanks to Osenat that the fascination with Napoleon continues. They hold regular sales entitled 'Empire at Fontainebleau', where they unearth historical souvenirs, manuscripts and ancient weapons to the delight of Empire enthusiasts.
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In 2007, Sotheby's presented a Sèvres porcelain pedestal table specially commissioned by Napoleon in 1811, which was not completed during his reign. According to Alexandre Brogniart, administrator of the Sèvres manufacture, the decoration of the table was intended to illustrate several views of the imperial palaces relating to the history of Napoleon, as well as illustrations of him and his relatives walking or hunting. In total, six different palaces located in Paris and its surroundings adorn the object. The 'Table des Palais Royaux, nicknamed for its miniature decorations, sold for €5.61 million.
Just like the cocked hat, the gold leaf, the marriage contract or the death mask (sold for €290,000 in 2017 at Couteau-Bégarie), Napoleonic treasures always cause a wave of emotion on the auction market.
The fighting spirit, the reign, the fall and the exile of the 'Little Corporal' are all elements that make his story fascinating, and which sometimes push admirers to pay a few millions to experience the memory of the infamous warlord.
