1973.05

Lawrence, Charles B.

Portrait

1973.05.01

Charlotte Bonaparte is known for her family lineage and the actions of her uncle and father. She lived from 1802 to 1839, dealing with the responsibilities attached to the Bonaparte family name. However, when she came to America she made a reputation for herself as a fine painter and respectable woman of high society. Charlotte, the youngest daughter of parents Joseph Bonaparte and Marie Julie Clary, was raised in France. She joined her father in December of 1821 at his New Jersey Estate, Point Breeze and remained there until August 1824. Following the end of Napoleon's rule her father had fled to Philadelphia in 1815, before moving to New Jersey in 1817.

It is believed that growing up Charlotte and her sister were surrounded by artists and poets. The painter Jacques-Louis David painted a portrait of the sisters around 1820. This influence is perhaps what encouraged Charlotte to become a painter herself.
While she resided in the Tri-State area, she exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. A portrait painted by Charlotte of Madame LaCoste is on display at the Athenaeum. Charlotte's tastes in fine art, and her father's growing collection, are believed to have played a role in bringing high European taste to America.

Charlotte's portrait, hanging in the first floor exhibit hallway of the Athenaeum, was the gift of Emily G. Hopkinson. It is attributed to painter Charles B. Lawrence. The portrait is one of many artifacts related to the Bonaparte family on display at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia.