Napoleon’s Hat Fetches $2.1 Million at French Auction.

Major historical figures often influence the art and culture of their time, and few have had as direct an influence as Napoleon Bonaparte. His invasion of Egypt in 1798, accompanied by scientists and scholars, inspired the 19th-century fascination with antiquity. After he was crowned Emperor in 1804, the furniture, fashion, and decorative arts of the time were called “Empire style.” Even after his death in exile in 1821, pictures and figurines continue to portray him and his first wife, Josephine.

Napoleon’s bicorne hat. Photo courtesy Osenat in Fontainebleau, France.

Napoleon is an easily recognizable figure, something he made sure of during his life. Bicorne hats were common military wear at the time, but while they were conventionally worn perpendicular to the shoulders (with the corners, or “cornes,” at the front and back), Napoleon famously wore his parallel to the shoulders. One of those famous bicorne hats recently sold at an auction of Napoleonic memorabilia by Osenat in Fontainebleau, France. The buyer, who remains anonymous, paid 1.9 million euros, or about $2.1 million. About twenty of Napoleon’s bicorne hats are known to exist, with most being in private collections.

Auctioned bicorne hat. Photo courtesy Osenat in Fontainebleau, France.

This sale comes at a time when Napoleon is once again in the public eye; a new movie about his life, Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix, recently opened. While the movie has received some criticism for historical inaccuracies, remember that Napoleon himself approved of stretching the truth for a more dramatic story. For example, one of the most famous images of him is the painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jaques-Louis David. At his own request, he is depicted as a majestic figure on a rearing horse. If the painting showed his campaign as it really happened, he would be seated on a mule, making for a much less dramatic image.

Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix.