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Arab News
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Napoleon's iconic bicorne hat and personal treasures expected to fetch millions in Paris
PARIS: After Hollywood's 'Napoleon' exposed the legendary emperor to a new generation, 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 — 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 2023 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.'
CTV News
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Napoleon's world is on display for a landmark auction, from divorce papers to his iconic hat
A woman watches a Napoleon bust in an exhibition of Napoleon's belongings created by French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac at the Sotheby's auction house in Paris Thursday, June 19, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) 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.' 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.' Thomas Adamson And Jeffrey Schaeffer, The Associated Press
The Independent
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Napoleon's world is on display for a landmark auction, from divorce papers to his iconic hat
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.'
Associated Press
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Associated 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.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Display of saint's remains draws huge crowds - but bishop says it 'encourages morbid curiosity'
Tens of thousands of people have flocked to see the remains of a revered Spanish saint, more than 440 years after her death, prompting debate over whether such displays "encourage morbid curiosity". Catholic worshippers in their droves have travelled to Alba de Tormes in western to view relics of Saint Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century religious reformer. Faithful lined up to see her, silent and wonderstruck as the remains of the mystic were put on display in a silver casket for the first time in more than 100 years. "It gave me a feeling of fulfilment, of joy, and of sadness," said Guiomar Sanchez, who travelled from Madrid with her two daughters on Sunday, the last full day of the exhibit. "Seeing her was an inexplicable experience," she added, praising the saint as being ahead of her time. After weeks on display, the casket of Saint Teresa was resealed on Monday and carried through the streets with pilgrims following behind her. Saint Teresa, who died in 1582, is a towering figure from Spain's Golden Age and 16th-century counter-reformation. Her explorations of the inner life and meditations on her relationship with God were controversial, yet they have been held up over the centuries as a "profound treatise on spirituality," said Jose Calvo, a professor of theology at the Pontifical University of Salamanca who specialises in Medieval history. Her admirers include Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco, who was rumoured to have kept a relic of the saint's hand next to his bed, and new , who visited her birthplace last year. Read more from Sky News: Some worshippers this month were visibly moved. On Sunday, a group of nuns from India wept as they looked upon the saint's remains behind a glass case. But the exhibition has also provoked debate over the appropriateness of displaying the remains of long-dead people in public. "It is not a good idea to display the body of Saint Teresa in this way," said nearby Bishop of Salamanca, Jose Luis Retana. "It only serves to encourage people's morbid curiosity." But local church officials and experts downplayed such reactions, saying the display was nothing out of the ordinary for how Catholics have revered their saints for centuries. "It was just something people always did when they thought somebody might be a saint," said Cathleen Medwick, who wrote a book about Saint Teresa. "And the fact that her body hadn't decayed very much was also considered a sign of her sanctity," she added.
