1821, Jacques-Louis David, Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte -- Getty Museum (Los Angeles)
From the museum label: David's portrait of Napoléon Bonaparte's nieces is a tender depiction of sisterly affection and a subtle study of contrasting personalities. The older Zénaïde gazes frankly at the viewer, seeming to protect the shyer Charlotte. The girls pose on a settee embroidered with golden bees, symbol of the Bonaparte family, reading a letter from their father, Joseph, who was in exile in the United States.
1821, Jacques-Louis David, Portrait of the Sisters Zénaïde and Charlotte Bonaparte -- Getty Museum (Los Angeles)
From the museum label: David's portrait of Napoléon Bonaparte's nieces is a tender depiction of sisterly affection and a subtle study of contrasting personalities. The older Zénaïde gazes frankly at the viewer, seeming to protect the shyer Charlotte. The girls pose on a settee embroidered with golden bees, symbol of the Bonaparte family, reading a letter from their father, Joseph, who was in exile in the United States.