Grote salon van Stéphanie de Beauharnais, de groothertogin van Baden, in het kasteel van Fontainebleau 1858

This stereoscopic image by Florent Grau shows us the Grand Salon of Stéphanie de Beauharnais in the Château de Fontainebleau. Here we can see the rigid and often extravagant style of the French Empire. This grand salon is designed to awe its visitors. The walls are covered in elaborate frescos, and the chandelier and mirrored wall reflect light throughout the room. The Château de Fontainebleau was a key site of the French monarchy for centuries, and it was revived as a symbol of imperial power by Napoleon. Stéphanie de Beauharnais was his adopted daughter, and her placement in this space is a testament to the regime’s ambition and pomp. Images such as this were designed to circulate among elites. They would have reinforced and legitimized social hierarchies, and the power of the empire. Images are powerful tools in understanding the social and cultural history of this time, and we can learn a lot from the images preserved in institutions, archives, libraries, and museums.