A major Paris sale of artefacts relating to Napoleon Bonaparte has surpassed pre-sale predictions to make nearly $10 million.
Sotheby’s, who hosted the sale, said paintings performed especially well.
Paintings, like this portrait of the Napoleon by Antoine-Jean Gros, performed particularly well. This piece made nearly $300,000. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Louis-Xavier Joseph, of Sotheby’s Paris said: “Some 200 years ago, Sotheby’s had the honour of auctioning Napoleon’s personal library—an extraordinary success which was echoed this evening when we unveiled one of the most significant collections of his belongings ever assembled, a powerful reminder of how Napoleon continues to captivate the world with his legacy and myth.
“Pierre-Jean Chalençon’s remarkable collection drew global attention, far surpassing estimates and setting new benchmarks for this category.”
A portrait of the Emperor by Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse sold for 20-times its estimate to realise $999,833, an artist record.
Napoleon in his Coronation Robes by the Studio of François-Pascal-Simon Baron Gérard sold for $852,799 against a top estimate of around $580,000.
A fragment of Napoleon’s first will matched expectations to sell for $558,730. A marriage certificate – he said “yes Josephine” – made over 5-times its low estimate to realise nearly $200,000.
Napoleon’s marriage certificate to Josephine. The interest in his personal life makes Napoleon one of the first modern political celebrities. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Napoleon is one of the most collectible figures in modern history. As befits one of Europe’s most high-profile individual military and political leaders, items with a close personal association with the French emperor are highly prized.
In 2023, a trademark bicorn hat made over £1.6 million to become the most valuable piece of the Corsican’s headgear ever sold at auction. A hat sold in the Sotheby’s sale for over $400,000 – a surprisingly affordable price for such an item.
Earlier this year, a quirky, but significant document in which Napoleon denied knowing that the Pope had been kidnapped on his orders realised $30,000.
