Latest news with #Sotheby
Mint
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Napoleon Bonaparte's relics on display in Paris: Divorce papers, iconic hat, and more up for grabs in landmark auction
French statesman and general Napoleon's life and lies are on display in Paris in the form of over 100 relics that belonged to him. His battered military hat, a sleeve from his red velvet coat, and even the divorce papers that ended his romance with empress Josephine, who haunted him till the very end. According to AP, the relics of one of the most controversial, yet undeniable European leaders are on display in Paris ahead of an iconic event which historians and experts are claiming to be one of the biggest Napoleon auctions ever staged. 'These are not just museum pieces. They're fragments of a life that changed history. You can literally hold a piece of Napoleon's world in your hand," Louis-Xavier Joseph, Sotheby's head of European furniture, who helped assemble the trove, was quoted as telling AP. 'Put a bicorne on a table, and people think of Napoleon immediately. It's like the laurel crown of Julius Caesar. Napoleon was a great lover; his letters that he wrote are full of fervor, of love, of passion. It was also a man who paid attention to his image. Maybe one of the first to be so careful of his image, both public and private," Joseph continued. 'The auction — aiming to make in excess of 7 million euros ($7.5 million) — is a biography in objects. The centerpiece is Napoleon's iconic bicorne hat, the black felt chapeau he wore in battle — with wings parallel to his shoulders — so soldiers and enemies could spot him instantly through the gunpowder haze. For all the pageantry — throne, swords, the Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor — the auction's true power comes from its intimacy. It includes the handwritten codicil of Napoleon's final will, composed in paranoia and illness on Saint Helena,' the AP report on the Napoleon auction reads.
San Francisco Chronicle
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Napoleon's world is on display for a landmark auction, from divorce papers to his iconic hat
PARIS (AP) — After the Hollywood epic 'Napoleon' exposed the legendary emperor to a new generation two years ago, over 100 relics — which shaped empires, broke hearts and spawned centuries of fascination — are on display in Paris ahead of what experts call one of the most important Napoleonic auctions ever staged. His battered military hat. A sleeve from his red velvet coat. Even the divorce papers that ended one of history's most tormented romances — with Josephine, the empress who haunted him to the end. Two centuries after his downfall, Napoleon remains both revered and controversial in France — but above all, unavoidable. Polls have shown that many admire his vision and achievements, while others condemn his wars and authoritarian rule. Nearly all agree his legacy still shapes the nation. 'These are not just museum pieces. They're fragments of a life that changed history,' said Louis-Xavier Joseph, Sotheby's head of European furniture, who helped assemble the trove. 'You can literally hold a piece of Napoleon's world in your hand.' From battlefields to boudoirs The auction — aiming to make in excess of 7 million euros ($7.5 million) — is a biography in objects. The centerpiece is Napoleon's iconic bicorne hat, the black felt chapeau he wore in battle — with wings parallel to his shoulders — so soldiers and enemies could spot him instantly through the gunpowder haze. 'Put a bicorne on a table, and people think of Napoleon immediately,' Joseph said. 'It's like the laurel crown of Julius Caesar.' The hat is estimated to sell for at least over half a million dollars. For all the pageantry — throne, swords, the Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor — the auction's true power comes from its intimacy. It includes the handwritten codicil of Napoleon's final will, composed in paranoia and illness on Saint Helena. There is the heartbreakingly personal: the red portfolio that once contained his divorce decree from Josephine, the religious marriage certificate that formalized their love and a dressing table designed for the empress. Her famed mirror reflects the ambition and tragedy of their alliance. 'Napoleon was a great lover; his letters that he wrote are full of fervor, of love, of passion,' Joseph said. 'It was also a man who paid attention to his image. Maybe one of the first to be so careful of his image, both public and private.' A new generation of exposure The auction's timing is cinematic. The recent biopic grossed over $220 million worldwide and reanimated Napoleon's myth for a TikTok generation hungry for stories of ambition, downfall and doomed romance. The auction preview is open to the public, running through June 24, with the auction set for June 25. Not far from the Arc de Triomphe monument dedicated to the general's victories, Djamal Oussedik, 22, shrugged: 'Everyone grows up with Napoleon, for better or worse. Some people admire him, others blame him for everything. But to see his hat and his bed, you remember he was a real man, not just a legend.' 'You can't escape him, even if you wanted to. He's part of being French," said teacher Laure Mallet, 51. History as spectacle The exhibition is a spectacle crafted by celebrity designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, famed for dressing Lady Gaga and Pope John Paul II. 'I wanted to electrify history,' Castelbajac said. 'This isn't a mausoleum, it's a pop culture installation. Today's collectors buy a Napoleon artifact the way they'd buy a guitar from Jimi Hendrix. They want a cabinet of curiosities.' He's filled the show with fog, hypnotic music and immersive rooms. One is inspired by the camouflage colors of Fontainebleau. Another is anchored by Napoleon's legendary folding bed. 'I create the fog in the entrance of the Sotheby's building because the elements of nature were an accomplice to Napoleon's strategy,' the designer said. Castelbajac, who said his ancestor fought in Napoleon's Russian campaign, brought a personal touch. 'I covered the emperor's bed in original canvas. You can feel he was just alone, facing all he had built. There's a ghostly presence." He even created something Napoleon only dreamed of. 'Napoleon always wanted a green flag instead of the blue, white, red tricolore of the revolution," he said, smiling. "He never got one. So I made it for Sotheby's.'
Winnipeg Free Press
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Napoleon's world is on display for a landmark auction, from divorce papers to his iconic hat
PARIS (AP) — After the Hollywood epic 'Napoleon' exposed the legendary emperor to a new generation two years ago, over 100 relics — which shaped empires, broke hearts and spawned centuries of fascination — are on display in Paris ahead of what experts call one of the most important Napoleonic auctions ever staged. His battered military hat. A sleeve from his red velvet coat. Even the divorce papers that ended one of history's most tormented romances — with Josephine, the empress who haunted him to the end. Two centuries after his downfall, Napoleon remains both revered and controversial in France — but above all, unavoidable. Polls have shown that many admire his vision and achievements, while others condemn his wars and authoritarian rule. Nearly all agree his legacy still shapes the nation. 'These are not just museum pieces. They're fragments of a life that changed history,' said Louis-Xavier Joseph, Sotheby's head of European furniture, who helped assemble the trove. 'You can literally hold a piece of Napoleon's world in your hand.' From battlefields to boudoirs The auction — aiming to make in excess of 7 million euros ($7.5 million) — is a biography in objects. The centerpiece is Napoleon's iconic bicorne hat, the black felt chapeau he wore in battle — with wings parallel to his shoulders — so soldiers and enemies could spot him instantly through the gunpowder haze. 'Put a bicorne on a table, and people think of Napoleon immediately,' Joseph said. 'It's like the laurel crown of Julius Caesar.' The hat is estimated to sell for at least over half a million dollars. For all the pageantry — throne, swords, the Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor — the auction's true power comes from its intimacy. It includes the handwritten codicil of Napoleon's final will, composed in paranoia and illness on Saint Helena. There is the heartbreakingly personal: the red portfolio that once contained his divorce decree from Josephine, the religious marriage certificate that formalized their love and a dressing table designed for the empress. Her famed mirror reflects the ambition and tragedy of their alliance. 'Napoleon was a great lover; his letters that he wrote are full of fervor, of love, of passion,' Joseph said. 'It was also a man who paid attention to his image. Maybe one of the first to be so careful of his image, both public and private.' A new generation of exposure The auction's timing is cinematic. The recent biopic grossed over $220 million worldwide and reanimated Napoleon's myth for a TikTok generation hungry for stories of ambition, downfall and doomed romance. The auction preview is open to the public, running through June 24, with the auction set for June 25. Not far from the Arc de Triomphe monument dedicated to the general's victories, Djamal Oussedik, 22, shrugged: 'Everyone grows up with Napoleon, for better or worse. Some people admire him, others blame him for everything. But to see his hat and his bed, you remember he was a real man, not just a legend.' 'You can't escape him, even if you wanted to. He's part of being French,' said teacher Laure Mallet, 51. History as spectacle The exhibition is a spectacle crafted by celebrity designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, famed for dressing Lady Gaga and Pope John Paul II. 'I wanted to electrify history,' Castelbajac said. 'This isn't a mausoleum, it's a pop culture installation. Today's collectors buy a Napoleon artifact the way they'd buy a guitar from Jimi Hendrix. They want a cabinet of curiosities.' He's filled the show with fog, hypnotic music and immersive rooms. One is inspired by the camouflage colors of Fontainebleau. Another is anchored by Napoleon's legendary folding bed. 'I create the fog in the entrance of the Sotheby's building because the elements of nature were an accomplice to Napoleon's strategy,' the designer said. Castelbajac, who said his ancestor fought in Napoleon's Russian campaign, brought a personal touch. 'I covered the emperor's bed in original canvas. You can feel he was just alone, facing all he had built. There's a ghostly presence.' He even created something Napoleon only dreamed of. 'Napoleon always wanted a green flag instead of the blue, white, red tricolore of the revolution,' he said, smiling. 'He never got one. So I made it for Sotheby's.'
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Napoleon's world is on display for a landmark auction, from divorce papers to his iconic hat
PARIS — After the Hollywood epic 'Napoleon' exposed the legendary emperor to a new generation two years ago, over 100 relics — which shaped empires, broke hearts and spawned centuries of fascination — are on display in Paris ahead of what experts call one of the most important Napoleonic auctions ever staged. His battered military hat. A sleeve from his red velvet coat. Even the divorce papers that ended one of history's most tormented romances — with Josephine, the empress who haunted him to the end. Two centuries after his downfall, Napoleon remains both revered and controversial in France — but above all, unavoidable. Polls have shown that many admire his vision and achievements, while others condemn his wars and authoritarian rule. Nearly all agree his legacy still shapes the nation. 'These are not just museum pieces. They're fragments of a life that changed history,' said Louis-Xavier Joseph, Sotheby's head of European furniture, who helped assemble the trove. 'You can literally hold a piece of Napoleon's world in your hand.' The auction — aiming to make in excess of 7 million euros — is a biography in objects. The centerpiece is Napoleon's iconic bicorne hat, the black felt chapeau he wore in battle — with wings parallel to his shoulders — so soldiers and enemies could spot him instantly through the gunpowder haze. 'Put a bicorne on a table, and people think of Napoleon immediately,' Joseph said. 'It's like the laurel crown of Julius Caesar.' The hat is estimated to sell for at least over half a million dollars. For all the pageantry — throne, swords, the Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor — the auction's true power comes from its intimacy. It includes the handwritten codicil of Napoleon's final will, composed in paranoia and illness on Saint Helena. There is the heartbreakingly personal: the red portfolio that once contained his divorce decree from Josephine, the religious marriage certificate that formalized their love and a dressing table designed for the empress. Her famed mirror reflects the ambition and tragedy of their alliance. 'Napoleon was a great lover; his letters that he wrote are full of fervor, of love, of passion,' Joseph said. 'It was also a man who paid attention to his image. Maybe one of the first to be so careful of his image, both public and private.' The auction's timing is cinematic. The recent biopic grossed over $220 million worldwide and reanimated Napoleon's myth for a TikTok generation hungry for stories of ambition, downfall and doomed romance. The auction preview is open to the public, running through June 24, with the auction set for June 25. Not far from the Arc de Triomphe monument dedicated to the general's victories, Djamal Oussedik, 22, shrugged: 'Everyone grows up with Napoleon, for better or worse. Some people admire him, others blame him for everything. But to see his hat and his bed, you remember he was a real man, not just a legend.' 'You can't escape him, even if you wanted to. He's part of being French," said teacher Laure Mallet, 51. The exhibition is a spectacle crafted by celebrity designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, famed for dressing Lady Gaga and Pope John Paul II. 'I wanted to electrify history,' Castelbajac said. 'This isn't a mausoleum, it's a pop culture installation. Today's collectors buy a Napoleon artifact the way they'd buy a guitar from Jimi Hendrix. They want a cabinet of curiosities.' He's filled the show with fog, hypnotic music and immersive rooms. One is inspired by the camouflage colors of Fontainebleau. Another is anchored by Napoleon's legendary folding bed. 'I create the fog in the entrance of the Sotheby's building because the elements of nature were an accomplice to Napoleon's strategy,' the designer said. Castelbajac, who said his ancestor fought in Napoleon's Russian campaign, brought a personal touch. 'I covered the emperor's bed in original canvas. You can feel he was just alone, facing all he had built. There's a ghostly presence." He even created something Napoleon only dreamed of. 'Napoleon always wanted a green flag instead of the blue, white, red tricolore of the revolution," he said, smiling. "He never got one. So I made it for Sotheby's.'
Metro
2 days ago
- Business
- Metro
Most expensive items you can buy if you won £208,000,000 Euromillions
An Irish winner has just won the biggest ever EuroMillions prize, netting a massive £208 million. It means the lucky individual will rocket into the ranks of the global elite overnight – although they still wouldn't have enough cash to enter the UK's rich list, which makes you think. The winning EuroMillions ticket has not yet been claimed. But we thought we'd get started with a shopping list in the meantime, so they have some ideas of what they could buy once their National Lottery win reaches their bank account. Some options would take up all of the cash (custom-made superyachts don't come cheap, never mind the running), while others would leave plenty leftover for champagne. The winner would have more than enough money to get into prime real estate in Ireland. Last year, Ballynatray House in Co Waterford sold with a record price tag of around €30 million. It is thought to have been bought by vacuum billionaire James Dyson, so maybe he could become the Lottery winner's new neighbour. Last year, the Amazon founder reportedly treated himself to a Gulfstream G700 private jet. Sleeping up to eight people in ergonomic seats that convert to beds, it offers a 'whisper-quiet cabin with 100% fresh, plasma-ionized air replenished every two to three minutes'. Bezos is thought to have three other jets, and with this EuroMillions win, the lucky player could buy themselves three as well. If they don't care too much about the climate. If the winner really wanted to push the boat out (ha ha), this lovely 77.8 metre yacht is listed for sale, and is within price range! It has a helipad too and was described by sellers as 'excellent value at €69,000 per gross ton', although we'll have to take their word for it. The Rutland Gate mansion in Knightsbridge would just about be achievable; it would stretch the budget though, and they'd need to find an extra £2 million down the back of the sofa. The palatial building with 45 rooms overlooking Hyde Park was sold for this record price by its Saudi owners in 2022, according to the Financial Times. Winners might benefit from the recent fall in London's prime housing market, however, and be able to strike a deal. This car sold for over five million dollars at auction last year. One of only 30 ever made, the model was engineered to break the 300 mph barrier for the first time, achieving a record speed of 304.777 mph. British jeweller Graff unveiled the 'most valuable watch ever created', with more than 110 carats of diamonds on a platinum bracelet. Fancy watches might have been out of reach until now, but now you could get a whole rolodex of Rolexes too. Made of Niloticus crocodile skin dyed white and grey, it is meant to make you think of the Himalayan Mountains (can't see it myself though). You also get 18-carat gold for the fastenings, studded with diamonds. It sold for over £330,000 at Sotheby's auction house in 2022. If the winner loves British football (probably not, given they bought the ticket in Ireland, but you never know), they could buy an entire football club, though not one at the top of the table. More Trending They could then become loathed or loved, depending on the club's fortunes, a route favoured by plenty of billionaires. If the pressure of the win is getting too much, and they fear the curse of the lottery jackpot, perhaps this would appeal. An untouched Scottish island would come as a bargain, too, with one going on sale in 2018 for just £120,000, leaving plenty of change from £208 million. What would you buy first? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'I won the National Lottery – this is what I now do day to day' MORE: Experts reveal what life would be like if you won the Euromillions £208,000,000 jackpot MORE: Congratulations, you've won the lottery – now you're screwed
