When you think of Joséphine de Beauharnais, you immediately imagine class and elegance . However, the first wife of Napoleon I has a very handicapping complex for her. The most illustrious woman of the 18th century has some small problems with her teeth. Indeed, Joséphine de Beauharnais has rotten teeth . I invite you through this article to discover the story of the rotten teeth of Joséphine de Beauharnais.
Origin of the rotten teeth of Joséphine de Beauharnais
Born in 1763, Joséphine de Beauharnais is known to have been the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, and his great love. The eldest daughter of a family of French nobles, Joséphine was born in Martinique, on a rich sugar plantation. She spent her childhood in the West Indies , and it was not until she was 16 that the young woman left for France.
Everyone knows, sugar and teething don't mix well. And it is undoubtedly because of this that Joséphine de Beauharnais had rotten teeth. She is used to eating sugar cane directly. It is even said that it was his real indulgence. Living with her family on a sugar plantation, the young girl has the annoying habit of eating it very regularly . Over the years, and the lack of care, Marie-Joseph Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie, better known as Joséphine de Beauharnais, saw her teeth rotting little by little. His teeth are gradually deteriorating, and the family unfortunately does not provide the care that we can have nowadays. When Joséphine de Beauharnais arrives in France to marry Viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais, her teeth are already rotten.
Joséphine de Beauharnais hides her rotten teeth
The rotten teeth of Joséphine de Beauharnais become a real complex
While she is all grace and elegance, the future Empress realizes that this disappointment can harm her. But that's nothing compared to how she's going to feel in the future. Her life as the mother of Eugène and Hortense Beauharnais, and her separation from their father will however leave little importance to the rotten teeth of Joséphine de Beauharnais.
In 1795, the young Creole met Napoleon Bonaparte, young general-in-chief of the army of the interior and future Emperor. The rotten teeth of Joséphine de Beauharnais will not prevent Napoleon I from having a crush on this matte-skinned beauty. It was at this point that the rotten teeth of Joséphine de Beauharnais would become a real complex for the young lady.
The Empress will hide her teeth
Put under the light, it is constantly observed and judged. Joséphine de Beauharnais will then hide her rotten teeth as much as she can. Every smile remains closed , there is no question for her to show her teeth which are not very pleasant to see. Contemporaries were taken aback by his smile, which remained a great mystery to them. The Empress has a habit of smiling with pursed lips and a crooked mouth .
Joséphine de Beauharnais' rotten teeth become an asset of seduction
But this mysterious side will work in its favor and become a real asset of seduction. His enigmatic air will attract. Joséphine de Beauharnais will succeed in transforming the complex of her rotten teeth into a chance to be able to seduce the people around him.
You undoubtedly know the most famous representation in painting of Joséphine de Beauharnais. We can clearly observe his slightly pinched and enigmatic smile . But this smile is the charm of Joséphine de Beauharnais. She managed to transform her rotten teeth, her questionable teeth, into real strength.
Dental care at the beginning of the 18th century
Were the rotten teeth of Joséphine de Beauharnais commonplace in the 18th century? Even if her childhood in Martinique, tasting sugar cane all day long, did not help Napoleon's first wife to have beautiful teeth, the doctor did not help matters. In the 18th century, dental care was very rare . It is therefore easy to imagine that some of the Empress's contemporaries suffered from the same disease.
The care of teeth was practiced only for everything related to beauty and speech. The goal is to have all those teeth, and to be able to speak clearly. When a tooth was rotten, it was therefore out of the question for the doctors of the time to pull it out. The rotten teeth of Joséphine de Beauharnais unfortunately could not be treated by physicians of the time. It is easy to imagine that this illustrious woman, in addition to being complexed, must have suffered terribly from this illness.
Sources:
http://www.professeurs-medecine-nancy.fr/Strazielle1.htm