Situating Charlotte
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SITUATING CHARLOTTE: Reading Politics in Portraits of Belgian Princess Charlotte, Vicereine of Lombardy-Venetia, Empress of Mexico by LINDA MACNAYR A thesis submitted to the Department of Art History in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada November 2008 Copyright © Linda MacNayr, 2008 To Kelby MacNayr and Noah MacNayr-Heath ii Abstract The political significance of portraits of Charlotte of Saxe Coburg Gotha (1840- 1927) has been obscured by her historical liminality and by romantic myths that have prevailed since the late nineteenth century and influenced interpretations of her visual representations. This thesis reassembles a wide range of images of Charlotte and analyzes these as sequential representations of an individual participating, across diverse cultures, in defining episodes of the nineteenth century. Strategies of allegory, programmatic intertextuality, and revisionism are revealed when these images are read within their political circumstances of production and complicate the dominance of a few late, iconic portraits of Charlotte and their entrenched associations. The use of costume, essential in certain portraits commissioned during Charlotte’s childhood in Belgium, is revisited in images depicting her during a brief position as Vicereine of Lombardy- Venetia and in another dating from her role - of equal brevity but indelible historical resonance - as Empress of Mexico. The significance of dress is explored in relation to agency and political influence and as demonstrating compliance with, or negotiation of, gender conventions. Charlotte’s public life was abruptly terminated upon her 1866 return to Europe by a diagnosis of ‘madness.’ Napoleon III was withdrawing troops supporting the Mexican Empire and her journey was made seeking to reverse this decision. I speculate a painting by French artist Edouard Manet allegorically records this episode of Charlotte’s life and that other factors relating to this episode subsequently influenced the erasure of her imperial images until their reappearance in the twentieth century. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Funding for this thesis was received from Queen’s University in the form of Graduate Awards, a Queen’s Fellowship and Graduate Dean’s Travel Grant, and a Thesis Completion Grant. A Bader Fellowship from the Alfred Bader Foundation and Graduate Scholarship from the Province of Ontario facilitated research in Europe and a Ban Righ Community Foundation Grant the final stage of production. For all of these, I am immensely grateful. The unflagging interest of Dr. Janice Helland, Professor of Art History & Women's Studies was sustaining and her academic excellence and insights always stimulating. I also wish to acknowledge less direct contributions by other members of Queen’s faculty, Dr. Cathleen Hoeniger, Dr. Sylvia Soderlind, Dr. Bruce Laughton, and the late Dr. Vojtec Wasiutynski. Particular gratitude is due Martine Vermeire, Henri Goffinet, Gery de Pierpont, and Gertrude Baelde for their generousity regarding images of Charlotte in Belgium, Grazietta Butazzi who shared her expertise in nineteenth-century Italian dress, and Miquel Enriquez whose knowledge of Mexican art and cultural institutions in Mexico City was vital. Additionally, the following individuals all provided valuable assistance: Eva Ayala Canseco Birgit Hammerschmid Carolina Ramirez Aznar Pablo Berrocal Jerry Harrel Claudia Reyes Flores Stefano Bianchi Ilse Jung C.W. Ritter Richard Boijen Georg Kugler Magdelena Rosova Manuel Canul Valle Epéndira de la Lama Adelbert Schusser Gianguido Castagno Brigitte E. Leidwein Robert Scrignari Gasper Cauich Marina Lippolis Barbara Schlafer Dorine Cardyn-Oomen Christopher Lloyd Jana Seely Maria Cavalieri-Dossi Constance McNair Lubomír Srsen Rosalinda Cobá Gala Dominique Marechal Robin Tosczak iv Adniona Cruz Mihaela Messina Katrin Unterreiner Eva Czykowska-Higgins Sarah Mundy Celia Zepeda Valdovinos Maria Colung Hernandez Magda Nemcova Tuur Van Hove Yuridia del Mar Colorado Sabine Orlik Victor Hugo Valencia Francesca De Bei Edna María Orozco Christophe Vauchaudez Marie Helen Desjardins Vera Prenosilová Roxana Velasquez Adriano Dugulin Vincent Pardoen Nicole Walch Rossella Fabiani Peter Parenzan Alexander Wied Maria Teresa Fiorio Sergio Poot Lyn Woodruff Jacques Foucart Valeria Potero Alsonso Ulloa Axayacatl Gutierrez André Raemdonck Patrizia Zettiu Markus von Habsburg- Yolanda Ramos Galiciá Lothringen The opportunity to undertake this research was an extraordinary privilege. It would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of my sons Kelby MacNayr and Noah MacNayr-Heath who participated at every stage of this ever- expanding adventure. Their encouragement and enthusiasm were inspiring throughout the writing process and their intellectual and aesthetic observations, and technological contributions, critically enriched the thesis; it is dedicated to them with love. v Table of Contents Title Page i Dedication ii Abstract iii Acknowledgments iv Table of Contents vi List of Illustrations vii Chapter One: Introduction and Literature Review 1 Chapter Two: Early Images 37 Chapter Three: Vicereine of Lombardy-Venetia 106 Chapter Four: Contingency Images 194 Chapter Five: Empress Carlota 250 Chapter Six: Afterimages 308 Chapter Seven: Assimilating the Empress 389 Bibliography 414 vi List of Illustrations Figure 2.1. Sir William Charles Ross (unsigned), Princess Charlotte, 1840. 43 Courtesy of the Royal Belgian Collections. (Collections royales de Belgique. Copyright.) Figure 2.2. William Radclyffe ‘after’ Sir John Gilbert, Buckingham Palace: the 45 Princess Royal sitting for a portrait by Winterhalter, c. 1842. Reproduced in John Raymond, ed. Queen Victoria’s Early Letters. London: B. T. Batsford. [1907] 1963: op. 134. (Engraving untraced.) Figure 2.3. Charles Hunt, The Wonder of Windsor: The Artist, Poet, Fiddler, here 47 we see, and all is Tweedle-dum, and Tweedle-dee, c. 1840. Museum of the Dynasty. (Musée de la Dynastie.) Figure 2.4. Debruyn F. Drisen, Vers une plus Grande Belgique/Naar een Groter 48 Belgi: Léopold I 1831-1865, 1955. Courtesy Museum of the Dynasty. (Musée de la Dynastie.) Figure 2.5. ‘After’ Sir William Charles Ross, Princess Charlotte of Belgium when 59 an infant, c. 1842. Courtesy of the Royal Belgian Collections. (Collections royales de Belgique. Copyright.) Figure 2.6. Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543), The Artist’s wife Elspeth 59 Binzenstock and her two children Philip and Catherine (detail), 1528. <http://ourworld.cs.com/_ht_a/constancefairfax/htm> (10 June 2006.) Figure 2.7. Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Hay-Harvest (detail), c.1525-1569. 59 <http://ourworld.cs.com/_ht_a/constancefairfax/htm> (10 June 2006.) Figure 2.8. Sir William Charles Ross (attributed to), Princess Charlotte, c. 1844. 61 (Windsor Castle.) Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, London, England. Figure 2.9. ‘After’ Sir William Charles Ross, Princess Charlotte, c. 1844. 61 (Windsor Castle.) Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, London, England. Figure 2.10. F. X. Winterhalter, Princess Charlotte, 1842. Courtesy of the Royal 63 Belgian Collections, Brussels, Belgium. (Collections royales de Belgique.) Figure 2.11. F. X. Winterhalter, Princess Charlotte, 1844. Courtesy of the Royal 66 Belgian Collections, Brussels, Belgium. (Collections royales de Belgique.) Figure 2.12. Markaert, Damigella coperta colla faille a Brusselle, 19th century. 66 New York Public Library, New York, United States of America. Figure 2.13. F. X. Winterhalter, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with the French 68 Royal Family at Château d’Eu, 1845. Collection of the Queen Mother, Royal Collections, London, Great Britain. vii Figure 2.14. Louis Gallait, Untitled (Princess Charlotte in Greek Costume), c. 72 1846. Courtesy Museum of the Dynasty, Brussels, Belgium. (Musée de la Dynastie .) Figure 2.15. Artist unknown, La Famile royale de Belgique, c. 1847. Courtesy 75 Museum of the Dynasty, Brussels, Belgium. (Musée de la Dynastie.) Figure 2.16. Artist unknown, untitled (Belgian royal family), c. 1847. Courtesy 75 Museum of the Dynasty, Brussels, Belgium. (Musée de la Dynastie.) Figure 2.17. Artist unknown, untitled (Belgian royal family), (cropped), c. 1847. 75 Museum of the Dynasty, Brussels, Belgium. (Musée de la Dynastie.) Figure 2.18. Artist unknown, Untitled (Belgian Royal Family and courtier), n.d. 76 Courtesy Museum of the Dynasty. (Musée de la Dynastie.) Figure 2.19. Signature illegible, Leopold I offers to abdicate the throne in 78 February 1848, 1848. Royal Albert Library, Brussels, Belgium. Figure 2.20. ‘After’ F. X. Winterhalter, Famille Royale, c. 1847-1849. Courtesy 80 Museum of the Dynasty. (Musée de la Dynastie.) Figure 2.21. F. X. Winterhalter, Princess Charlotte, c. 1849. Courtesy of the 82 Royal Belgian Collections. (Collections royales de Belgique. Copyright.) Figure 2.22. Artist unknown, ‘after’ F. X. Winterhalter, Princess Charlotte, n.d. 82 Courtesy of Gertrude Baelde. Figure 2.23. D.I. Desvachez, ‘after’ F.X. Winterhalter, Léopold, Duke of Brabant 82 (later Leopold II), Philippe, Count of Flanders, Princess Charlotte, c. 1849. Courtesy Museum of the Dynasty. (Musée de la Dynastie.) Figure 2.24. Artist unknown, Derniers moments de S. M. la première Reine des 83 Belges décédé à Ostende, 11 November 1850, 1850. Courtesy Museum of the Dynasty. (Musée de la Dynastie.) Figure 2.25. Artists unknown, Prieres de la Reine Louise-Marie d’Orleans et de 85 Son Altesse Royal La Princess Charlotte, 1850. Courtesy