There is no greater collector or no greater fan of Napoleon Bonaparte than Pierre-Jean Chalençon. He is easily the most prolific collector of Napoleonic material, reportedly estimated to be more than 1,000 items. In fact, his collection, which has taken him four decades to amass, has grown so large that he reportedly no longer can afford to keep it all.
Thus, more than 100 of his cherished Napoleonic items will come to auction at Sotheby’s Paris on June 24. It includes imperial furniture, silver, porcelain, sculpture, Old Master paintings, manuscripts and drawings. Items in the auction provide as complete a picture of the historical figure as possible, covering his childhood, his military career, his coronation at Notre-Dame, his family life, and finally the collapse of his empire and his exile to the island of Saint Helena.