The Arts Society SW London to Host Study Day
Learn about the rise and fall of Napoleon and Josephine with Stephen Duffy
Left: ‘Napoleon in his Study’ by Jacques-Louis David Empress. Right: Josephine (detail) by Ferdinand Quaglia
October 20, 2026
The Arts Society SW London will host a study day in Putney on Thursday 5 November exploring one of history’s most famous and turbulent partnerships: Napoleon Bonaparte and Joséphine de Beauharnais. The event, The Rise and Fall of Napoleon & Josephine, takes place from 10am to 2.30pm in the Lower Room at The Community Church on Werter Road.
The study day will be led by Stephen Duffy, a specialist in Napoleonic history, and will consist of three lectures tracing the dramatic ascent of Napoleon, his political and military dominance in Europe, and the personal and dynastic ambitions that shaped his relationship with Joséphine. Their marriage — marked by passion, political calculation and eventual collapse — offers a lens through which to understand the wider forces driving France’s transformation during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Participants will explore how Napoleon’s rise reshaped Europe, how Joséphine influenced court culture and imperial identity, and how their eventual separation reflected the pressures of power, legacy and succession. The day promises a detailed and engaging look at two figures whose lives were inseparable from the era’s upheavals.
Tea and coffee will be provided, though attendees are asked to bring their own lunch. The study day is open to both members and non‑members, with tickets priced at £35.
Booking is available via tasswl.treasurer@gmail.com, and further details can be found on The Arts Society SW London’s website.
The Arts Society SW London is part of the wider national Arts Society network, a charitable organisation dedicated to enriching lives through the arts. The SW London branch has built a reputation for welcoming, high-quality cultural events that bring together people with a shared interest in art, history, music and design.
If you have never attended an Arts Society event before, you are urged to join and find out about your local Arts Society. Visit the society’s website for further details.
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