Grandda

In 1796, during their first months together in Italy, Napoleon was consumed by both war and his new marriage. After the Battle of Arcole, painter Antoine-Jean Gros came to Milan to paint the young general. But there was one problem: Napoleon could barely sit still long enough to be painted. Josephine found the solution. After breakfast, she would pull Napoleon onto her lap and hold him there for several minutes while Gros worked. Antoine Lavalette, Napoleon's aide-de-camp witnessed several of these sittings himself. The scene was almost absurdly intimate for the man who was already becoming one of Europe's most feared generals. Yet their love was never simple Napoleon was intensely jealous and suspicious of her, while Josephine's charm repeatedly disarmed him. Even when rumors about her relationships reached him, his attachment to her remained extraordinarily powerful. Years later, when their marriage finally collapsed because Napoleon desperately wanted an heir, he told her: "Josephine! My dear Josephine! You know how I have loved you... He then told her that his love had to yield to what he believed was the interest of France. They separated in 1809 But separation did not erase the attachment When Napoleon learned of Josephine’s death on 29 May 1814, he was devastated. He withdrew to his room and, according to accounts, did not come out for two days. After escaping Elba and returning to France in 1815, Napoleon went to Malmaison, where Josephine had lived. He visited the place and walked through the garden where they had once spent time together, surrounded by memories of her. Even during his final exile on Saint Helena, Napoleon continued talking about Josephine and remembering their relationship. His final years were filled with memories of Josephine. The accounts of those around him reveal how strongly she remained part of his emotional world. His exact last words are disputed, but one famous account records his final murmurs as: “France… the army… the head of the army… Joséphine.” Whether or not “Joséphine” was literally his final word, she remained one of the deepest memories of Napoleon’s final years. (Full context)!