Corps Legislatif, zitting van het jaar 1811 1811

Romain-Vincent Jeuffroy created this bronze medal depicting the Corps Législatif in 1811. This was during a period when France, under Napoleon, was undergoing significant political and social restructuring. The medal presents a fascinating intersection of power, gender, and national identity. On one side, we see a profile of a woman wearing a helmet, an allegorical representation of France, reminiscent of classical depictions of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. This feminized symbol of the nation raises questions about women's roles within the state, particularly during a time of war and empire-building. The reverse side of the medal bears the inscription "Corps Législatif, session de l'an 1811," marking a specific moment in French legislative history. As we consider this object, let us think about the relationship between symbolic representation and lived experience, and what it meant to be French—or to be excluded from that identity—during the Napoleonic era.