In his 1864 painting, Jean-Léon Gérôme shows the imperial family and members of the court at a reception for the Siamese ambassadors on 27 June 1861.

The reception takes place in the ballroom at the palais de Fontainebleau, converted into a throne room especially for the event. Napoleon III and Eugénie watch as the Siamese approach, wearing pointed hats decorated with chiselled gold, and long, silk, flowing robes. Members of Napoleon III’s court look on in the background. The painting includes more than 80 portraits, some of which were made from photographs taken by the photographer Nadar. For Napoleon III, this type of imperial celebration was an effective way of pleasing and controlling the elites.