Becoming Josephine: Factoids

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  • No queen owned a jewel collection that paralleled Josephine’s. Hers could not even fit into Queen Marie-Antoinette’s jewel cabinet! It’s no wonder that she and Napoleon quarreled over her constant spending.
  • The empire waist associated with the Regency era originated in ancient Greece, though Josephine made the style popular once more in Europe during her reign.
  • Josephine adored mixing her own concoctions of cosmetics and creams and would probably be considered an amateur cosmetologist today.
  • A great admirer of art, Josephine had a grand gallery built at Malmaison. It was almost one hundred feet long and fitted with skylights and consoles to display her vast collection of 360 paintings and other objets d’art. Many of the pieces were spoils of war and, therefore, did not reflect her true taste. The contemporary pieces in her collection, however, did demonstrate her tastes and included family portraits, flowers, and watercolors. Most known female painters of the time were represented as well. She adored the Troubadour style and made it popular, which ultimately paved the way for the impending Romantic movement.
  • An avid horticulturalist, Josephine corresponded with plant specialists, explorer-botanists, and professors from the National Museum of Natural History. Napoleon’s war ships that carried flower and plant specimens for Josephine were allowed free passage through his continental blockade. During the years Josephine inhabited Malmaison, she introduced hundreds of species to Europe from destinations as far away as Australia, Africa, the far East, and South America.
  • In addition to her aviary, orangery, and vast gardens, Josephine developed a free-roaming zoo of sorts including kangaroos, emus, a female orangutan, a zebra, llamas, and black swans. Most of the animals transported from distant climates did not survive more than a few years with the exception of the black swans which thrived. Josephine even had a cowherd on hand and attendants who were required to dress in Swiss costume.
  • Josephine had rotted teeth resulting from years of munching on sugarcane as a child and teen. They caused her a good deal of pain as she grew older. She became known for her smile, lips pressed together, to hide her less-than-attractive teeth. She always covered her mouth with her hand or a fan when she laughed.
  • Napoleon nicknamed Rose Josephine because he simply couldn’t stand the thought of her past history of lovers. He gave her rebirth in her new name—a woman yet untouched by any other man. It may have also been his way of possessing her in yet another way, something Napoleon was infamous for—possessing everything he could get his hands on.
  • She died of an infection in her throat and a wretched bout of pneumonia at the age of 51 in 1814, just two months after she learned Napoleon had been arrested.

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