Well, speaking of cold feet, Pauline, Napoleon's beautiful, statuesque but rather scandalous sister, had a peculiar way of warming her cold feet. One day she said: "It is so cold! My extremities are frozen! Madame Chambaudoin, please come and warm me up." And that obliging lady's companion, who apparently was used to the procedure, answered: "With pleasure, Princess," and laid down in front of Pauline, who promptly inserted her cold feet in her chambermaid's upper dress.
While this strange procedure took place, both ladies carried on a conversation with the other guests:
"What kind of show do you like best?" asked Pauline.
"Tragedy," someone answered.
"I do too," added the lady's companion, still lying down while Pauline's feet continued their "walk." on her breasts, "I love tragedy because it elevates my soul."
Napoleon loved his Paulette very much. He could get angry about her follies; she could not care less about his furors. In fact, during his entire reign the Emperor was plagued with her problems and her lovers But his affection for her never diminished. She was his favorite sister.
Marry Her Off
In an attempt to solve these problems, he married the very young Pauline off to General Leclerc. She went with him to Haiti, but returned with him a widow, her husband being in a casket. The young ‘widow dried her tears quickly and opened her magnificent residence of the Hôtel Charost, rue du Faubourg St. Honoré (today the British Embassy). There she began a series of indiscreet amorous adventures that threw Napoleon into a fit.
The volage [2] Pauline was not a model of
marital fidelity. A book could be written on her adventures.
Prince Borghese was away in Italy on official business much too
often for his own good.
ADCs of Love
Pauline had a weakness for Berthier's Aides de Camps. They were, for the most part, handsome, dashing young men dressed in their rich, overdecorated hussar-like uniforms. They were despised but envied by the army officers. They were cheered by the soldiers who appreciated their occasional bravados and their stylish look. These dandies, brave men who knew how to fight and die gallantly, always ready to take a message where it had to be delivered, and on occasion to lead a charge or take a battery, were highly appreciated by the ladies.
New Lover
In 1810, Canouville, a young aristocratic ADC, had the honor (often shared!) of being Pauline's lover. He could not hide his good fortune. One day, in her Neuilly residence, Pauline, suffering from a toothache, called the famous practitioner Bousquet. The latter entered Pauline's bedroom where a young handsome man was lying down on a couch in apparel suggesting that he was just coming out of bed: "Sir, take extreme care in what you are about to do," the man proclaimed "I am most fond of my Pauline's teeth." Bousquet, his
services rendered, thinking the husband was speaking (Prince Borghese however was in Italy), said to the people he encountered in the antechamber as he came out of Pauline's bedroom:
"Ah, Her Royal Highness must be so happy with the kind of affection displayed by her majestic husband! I will tell everyone, everywhere what I have just witnessed!"
Bousquet told the story so well and to so many
that Napoleon was informed of the event. Canouville was promptly sent
to Portugal to carry a dispatch. He arrived there exhausted and
covered with mud after covering the distance at full gallop in
record time. He wanted to return quickly. He missed his Pauline.
Thiébault did his best to keep him there by telling him that the
road back to France was now cut off, etc. But Canouville was
stubborn. He remounted his horse and, in spite of all the
difficulties, still at the gallop, returned to France as quickly
as he had come.
In no time, he was back in Neuilly (a western
suburb of Paris). But, alas, Pauline, who dealt badly with being
alone, had already selected another handsome ADC of
Berthier's, Alexis de Touteau de Septeuil.
Once more, he had to marry her off quickly! His
choice fell on Prince Borghese, who was a perfect Incroyable, [1]
but a somewhat insufficient husband, at least for Pauline.
Alas, Pauline. . .had
already selected
another handsome ADC of Berthier's
Napoleon protected his promiscuous sister the best he knew how. His armies were scattered all over Europe. So, the unfortunate Canouville was sent back to Spain on another mission. Shortly after, Septeuil also became disgraced by his "adventures" with Pauline and was also sent away.
Three weeks later, Septeuil found himself at the Battle of Salamanca and then at the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro where he lost a leg. Two years later, at Smolensk, Canouville had his foolish head severed by a canon ball.
Bad Luck
Indeed, bad luck struck Berthier's ADCs who had the (mis?)fortune to become one of Pauline's numerous lovers.
During Prince Borghese's frequent, long trips, Pauline, reputed to be the most beautiful woman of the Empire, displayed her sculptural beauty quite freely and without inhibition. Laure Meternich, the wife of the famous Austrian ambassador, reports that on a morning in January Pauline had invited her to call with her children.
They found Napoleon's beautiful
sister reclining on a sofa in her boudoir as nude as Canova had
sculpted her, while a black male friseur arranged her hair
and a white maid drew on her undergarments and stockings.
"We were present at her toilet from head to foot,"
Laure wrote her husband. "She had herself dressed even to
her undershirt and hose in front of us and during the whole time
she sang only your praises."
Singing Lessons
Pauline was composing some sentimental ballads and, one day, she decided to set them to music. Her sister Caroline recommended Blangini, who had the reputation of breaking hearts among his students. She called him and he rushed to her. He found Pauline in her boudoir, lying on a couch, surrounded by a circle of beautiful ladies.
Blangini sat down and Pauline interviewed him. He answered only with mumblings. Pauline was nude under a barely-closed dressing gown from which two admirable arms shot up. The singer lost his breath.
The door opened and a very handsome black butler entered.
"Ah!" said Pauline, "it's Paul, he is coming for my bath."
She got up, dropped her dressing gown, and appeared completely nude to her guests. The butler came forward and seized Pauline in his powerful arms and carried her into the bathroom. No one reacted with surprise--except Blangini--and their conversation continued until Pauline came back.
At this point, the previously mentioned foot warming ritual occurred. This was too much for Blangini who, his heart pounding, decided to retire, and Pauline told him, privately: "I'll see you tomorrow night!"
The singing lesson was set for 9 p.m. It lasted until dawn. Blangini was completely under Pauline's spell. Pauline bragged about the fine qualities of her singing master. One evening at the opera, a friend said warningly to Blangini: "Be more careful, can you imagine what would happen if the Emperor discovered?"
Blangini turned pale. Blinded by his ardor for Pauline, he had forgotten the Emperor! What could happen? Well, he could be sent, like his predecessor, the unfortunate Achille de Septeuil, to the Spanish inferno. The maestro, when coming out of the Hôtel Charost at dawn, slunk along close to the wall, his hat pulled down over his eyes. He shivered; he did not want to incur the wrath of Pauline's brother.
Finally, a respite came for the nervous Blangini. Pauline suddenly fell ill. Her doctors recommended a cure in Aix. She went there and then to Nice, but she longed for her singer. She asked him to come to her. He did. It was a romantic interlude, but strictly regulated: a 3 p.m. ride in a barouche or stroll by the sea, then music until dinner, more music after dinner, and then, duo. . .It was la dolce vita.
One day, Pauline told Blangini that the Emperor was inquiring about this choirmaster (such was his title). Once more poor Blangini turned pale and feared the worst. The choirmaster only wanted to hide. No more strolls by the sea or rides in the barouche. But Pauline, pitiless, dragged him everywhere!
Another courier from the Emperor arrived. That was it. Blangini already saw himself drafted and in Spain! Nothing of the sort. Napoleon had decided to create a government in Italy and to administer it he had chosen Prince Borghese. The Prince came to get his wife and take her to Torino.
Pauline screamed and cried. She only liked Paris! Blangini took Pauline in his arms and swore that he would never forget her. But Pauline told him:
"Don't worry, Felix, you'll be part of the trip. I'll keep you."
Finally, one day, sick of Pauline's caprices, Blangini could not stand it anymore. He ran away to Paris and went into hiding.
Even after the fall of the Empire, the poor Blangini still turned pale and shook every time someone mentioned Pauline's name.
Napoleon in the Nude
Eugene de Beauharnais, Napoleon's stepson, Vice-King of Italy, patronized the arts in the Kingdom of Italy and among other things created an academy of fine arts which produced famous artists like Antonio Canova, the most renowned sculptor of his day. The handsome and willful Canova declined Napoleon's invitation to live at the imperial court but did numerous statues and busts of the Bonapartes.
His full-length nude of Pauline, called Venus Reclining, is the most famous. Very proud of her body, she embarrassed Napoleon by repeatedly confirming that she had posed for it. Most shocking to Napoleon was a nude of himself--for which he did not pose. It was banished to the cellar of the Louvre. Lord Wellington brought it to England in 1815, and it may be seen today in Aspley House, London.
Not surprisingly, Prince Borghese and Pauline agreed on a separation. She was made Princess of Guastalla in 1806. She fell into disfavor with Napoleon because of her hostility to Marie-Louise. But when Napoleon's ' fortunes sank, Pauline showed herself more loyal than any of his other siblings.
Blangini still turned pale
and shook every time
someone mentioned Pauline's name
To render Napoleon's stay in Elba more bearable, she sent him her best cook.
She died of cancer in 1825 at the age of 45 with, according to the legend, a mirror in her hand.
More about the Venus Reclining
The life-size statue represents Napoleon's sister as Venus the Conqueror or Venus Victrix with the Apple of Pride in her left hand. Sculpted in 1809, it was commissioned by her husband Prince Camilio Borghese.
Initially, Canova wanted to represent Pauline as Diana, but the Princess refused. After it was completed, Canova spread a layer of melted wax on the flesh parts of the statue, which gave the marble a light rosy glow.
The statue was sent to Torino to the Chablais Palace where the Prince lived. After the fall of the Empire, it was moved to its present location in Rome, in the Galleria Borghese where it was shown to a privileged few in artificial light.
Canova made numerous statues of the Bonaparte family. Among his many portraits of Napoleon were two colossal nude figures, one of which was "captured" by Wellington and is now in Apsley House in London. The other, Napoleone Come Marte Pacificatore, is in Milan in the Palazzo di Brera.
Footnotes
[1] See Leona's Corner in EE&L #5.
[2] I use the French word volage, which has a meaning slightly different than the strict English translations "flighty, fickle, inconstant." In French une femme volage is a woman of easy virtue.
More Leona's Corner:
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