Marie-Louise, Empress of the French, and the Roi de Rome

The oil painting titled Marie-Louise, Empress of the French, and the Roi de Rome was created in 1813 by François Gérard. It entered the collection of the Museum of the History of France at the Palace of Versailles, where it remains on display. The work was commissioned by Napoleon and depicts Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, with her son, Napoleon II, in a regal domestic setting.

Its dimensions are 240 cm in height and 162 cm in width, and it is catalogued under inventory numbers MV 4703, INV 4759, and AC 1761 within the museum's holdings.

The painting is housed in the Museum of the History of France at the Palace of Versailles, with inventory numbers MV 4703, INV 4759, and AC 1761 as recorded in the Joconde catalogue. It was created in 1813 by François Gérard, depicting Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, and her son, the Roi de Rome, and forms part of the museum’s collection of French historical artworks.

Exhibition records indicate its presence in Versailles exhibitions, including a notable display at the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon.

Created in 1813 by François Gérard, this oil painting presents Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, together with her infant son, Napoleon II, who was titled the Roi de Rome. Executed in the neoclassical idiom, the work situates the mother and child within an interior that conveys both intimacy and status, and it now forms part of the collection at the Palace of Versailles.

The portrait was produced at a time when Napoleon’s empire was waning and the future of his lineage was uncertain. By depicting Marie Louise and the Roi de Rome in a domestic setting, Gérard both humanizes the imperial family and reinforces their legitimacy amid the political turbulence of the early 19th century.