Who painted Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte?

Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte was painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1821.

Where can I see Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte?

Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte is held by J. Paul Getty Museum.

What movement is Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte?

Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte is associated with Neoclassicism.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte?

Museum-quality prints of Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte

Jacques-Louis David , 1821

Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Jacques-Louis David. It dates from 1821 and is held in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum.

About this work

Overview

Jacques‑Louis David completed an oil portrait in 1821 that presents the Bonaparte sisters, Charlotte and Zénaïde, together on a single canvas. The work records the two young women at a moment of quiet attention, rendered in the neoclassical style for which David is renowned.

Subject & Meaning

The sisters, daughters of Joseph Bonaparte—once king of Spain—and his wife Julie Clary, are shown examining a letter from their father, who was residing in Philadelphia after the defeat at Waterloo. Their focused expression suggests a personal connection to the political upheavals that displaced their family.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil, the painting employs David’s characteristic clarity of form and restrained palette. The figures are modeled with precise brushwork, while the background remains subdued, directing the viewer’s attention to the interaction between the two women and the document they hold.

History & Provenance

Commissioned by Joseph Bonaparte while the family lived in Brussels, the canvas was shipped across the Atlantic to his residence in the United States. It entered the public sphere when it was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1823.

Context

Created during the exile of the Bonaparte family following Napoleon’s fall, the portrait reflects both personal nostalgia and the broader displacement of former imperial relatives. David, a former court painter to Napoleon, continued to work for the family despite the political reversal.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Jacques-Louis David

Jacques-Louis David was born in Paris on 30 August 1748 into a bourgeois family; his father died in a duel when the boy was nine, and a maternal uncle guided his education.