Jérôme Bonaparte (1784–1860) was Napoleon's youngest brother. In 1807 following his marriage to Princess Catherine, daughter of the King of Wurttemberg, he was briefly (until 1813) King of Westphalia, a realm created by Napoleon from the states of northwestern Germany. After 1848, when his nephew, Louis Napoleon, became emperor as Napoleon III, he served in several official roles, and was awarded several titles, among them First Prince of Montfort, Marshal of France, and Prince Français.

The sitter is shown as King of Westphalia, pointing to his regalia lying on a red cushion beside him. He holds a staff of office in his left hand and wears ermine-lined embroidered Imperial robes. A similar portrait by Gérard is in the Musée National du Château de Fontainebleau.