Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III of France, not only was a public figure to the country, but she also preserved the country’s history of art until the end of her husband’s reign. Dolliann Hurtig, an associate professor of French at Louisiana Tech, said Eugenie not only had the beauty but also had the brains. Hurtig described Eugenie in her book review on Alison McQueen’s “Empress Eugenie and the Arts: Politics and Visual Culture in the 19th Century,” and Hurtig’s article was published in the “French Review,” an international journal devoted to French and French studies in the United States. “The book was excellent,” Hurtig said. “McQueen’s highly original volume seeks to reinstate Eugenie upon her throne in splendor, as patroness of the visual arts and last empress of the French.” Hurtig has written four other reviews including the review on Eugenie, and she said this was her favorite review she has written for the “French Review.” “My favorite part about the book was its illustrations,” she said. “The book has beautiful images of Eugenie herself and works she kept to educate the citizens.” According to Hurtig, Eugenie was a collector of art. While her husband was leading the country, she would create many charity and educational events for the people of France. “It was a challenging book,” she said. “I read it twice, taking notes both times I read it. It took me about 50 hours to complete.” The review itself gives a very detailed opinion on the book, while also helping the reader understand the empress more. Just like Eugenie, Hurtig is able to show French history to people by learning about different eras of the country’s history. “She was very open in sharing with the people,” Hurtig said. “Even while she was exiled to England, she spent the rest of her time teaching the people.” Written by Derek Amaya