By SUSAN LIN
Examining a sugar bowl from 1809--one of the items at The Nassau County Museum of Art's "Napoleon and His Age" exhibit--is like going through a time-portal to a time and place when such an item was commonplace.
The bowl from which Napoleon scooped sugar is about seven inches long, and seems to hold quite a bit of crystal. It has gilded rims, and two intricately sculpted handles. Instead of using a saucer, the sugar bowl is mounted on a slate of marble with legs. Don't try to find a bowl like this at Bed, Bath and Beyond. In fact, it'd probably seem a bit odd at a flea market.
But what's Napoleon's sugar bowl doing at an art exhibit? According to Constance Schwartz, co-curator of "Napoleon and His Age" and director of the NCMA, "The objects from Napoleon's life make the art more human. One thing [history] feeds on the other [art].... Our mission is education."
Franklin Hill Perrell, the other curator of the exhibit, added, "[The history] helps people to experience the time that the art was created." Each of the rooms in the exhibit, Perrell noted, recreates a "theatrical scene" from the Napoleonic era. A typical room would feature two or more art genres, such as fine art, decorative art, and historical or military artifacts.
To find the array of art objects, Schwartz and Perrell spent two years culling the collections of wealthy individuals and art institutions from the world over, though most pieces came from France and New York. "We just knew we could find the objects for the exhibit. There are so many Napoleonic [tribute] organizations in France and Europe that [ital]want[end ital] to promote Napoleon," said Schwartz.
"If one place can't help you, they refer you to someone else. They all know each other," Perrell added.
In the end, Schwartz and Perrell managed to procure Napoleon's signature hat made of beaver-skin with a silk button accent from the Galeries Pierre de SOUZY in Paris; adopted son Prince Eugene's fancy mahogany desk from Malmaison Antiques in New York; and a small child's sword designed by Jacques Louis David, from a private collector.
"Napoleon and His Age," which covers two floors of the museum, also includes documents such as Napoleon and Josephine's wedding license of 1804, handwritten with a wax stamp; and fan letters from Jewish communities that Napoleon freed from oppression after a conquest. "These letters show a side of Napoleon that's also humanitarian. It's rare that that's done. It's much more common to see him as a soldier," said Schwartz.
It's true Napoleon is often portrayed as a strong military leader in the paintings and sculptures on display here. The most renowned works in the exhibit include David's 1807 "T
