Napoleon & Marie Louise

The history of the watermarked paper with the effigies of Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Marie Louise of Austria, created by the original Magnani paper mill a few decades after its establishment, tells of the habit of honouring the most prominent figures of the time through celebratory papers.

Thanks to commendable entrepreneurship, in 1812 the Magnani Mill of Pescia obtained authorization to produce this special paper representing the French emperor and his spouse: the watermark portrayed the sovereigns in profile inside medallions, facing each other, in a stylistic tribute that recalled the ancient Roman coins. The inscriptions surrounding the images, however, stood out for their uniqueness and the irreverent use of an “ETC.” to indicate missing titles.

The watermark testifies not only to the technical excellence of the time, but also to the artistic innovation of Magnani, who contributed to spreading the image of the emperor with his own iconographic interpretation, inspired by classical models, but profoundly personal.