The publication focuses on 150 portrait miniatures from the age of Napoleon I. They provide us with an astonishingly direct view of people who lived in this turbulent, war-torn period. The works are presented in detail in image and text. Essays by a number of experts on miniature painting round out the subject.

The 150 portrait miniatures from the age of Napoleon I (between 1795 and 1815) included in this volume surprise the viewer with their high artistic level and their craftsmanship. Unlike the dramatically exaggerated portraits of absolutism we see here realistic people who look remarkably modern – a gallery of women, men and children from a time of political upheaval dominated by wars.