Book excerpt: Reconstructing Empress Eug?e's position as a private collector and a public patron of a broad range of media, this study is the first to examine Eug?e (1826-1920), whose patronage of the arts has been overlooked even by her many biographers. The empress's patronage and collecting is considered within the context of her political roles in the development of France's institutions and international relations. Empress Eug?e and the Arts: Politics and Visual Culture in the Nineteenth Century also examines representations of the empress, and the artistic transformation of a Hispanic woman into a leading figure in French politics. Based on extensive research at architectural sites and in archives, museums, and libraries throughout Europe, and in Britain and the United States, this book offers in-depth analysis of many works that have never before received scholarly attention - including reconstruction and analysis of Eug?e's apartment at the Tuileries. From her self-definition as empress through her collections, to her later days in exile in England, art was integral to Eug?e's social and political position.