Germaine de Staël

One of the most fascinating intellectuals of her time, Anne-Louise-Germaine de Staël seemed to irritate Napoleon more than any other person did. Daughter of Louis XVI’s Swiss Protestant finance minister, Jacques Necker, and wife of a Swedish diplomat, Madame de Staël frequently criticized Napoleon’s policies. She published best-selling novels and influential literary criticism, and whenever allowed to reside in Paris she encouraged the intellectual and political dissidents from Napoleon’s regime. In this painting from 1809, Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun depicts her as Corinne, the heroine of one of her novels. (Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva, Switzerland / Bridgeman Images.)