Three new items have been identified in the ongoing project to name those chosen by Pauline Boty for the collaged wall she assembled at her flat in west London photographed by, among others, Roger Mayne in 1964. Item #28 is of Queen Victoria and Empress Eugénie, c. 1855, #77 Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, c. 1850s and #136 Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan, Giovanni Bellini, c. 1501–1502.
The Wikipedia entry for Eugénie de Montijo notes: “The empress strongly advocated equality for women, pressured the Ministry of National Education to give the first baccalaureate diploma to a woman and tried unsuccessfully to induce the Académie Française to elect the writer George Sand as its first female member” and “She was perhaps the last Royal personage to have a direct and immediate influence on fashion. She set the standard for contemporary fashion at a time when the luxury industries of Paris were flourishing. Eugénie’s influence on contemporary taste extended into the decorative arts.” Further information is available here: [link]
With thanks to Jasmine Allen of The Stained Glass Museum for identifying the first two detailed above and Rachel Godfrey the third.
All comments, corrections, clarifications and suggestions from visitors to the site about this project would be greatly appreciated, via the Contact page here: [link]
The updated page can be accessed here: [link]
Pauline Boty 