“The Execution of Emperor Maximilian”
For today, a history painting with a statement…
“The Execution of Emperor Maximilian” is an oil on canvas painting by the French artist, Édouard Manet, that was made between 1868 and 1869. Between 1867 and 1869, Manet did a series of paintings depicting the death of Emperor Maximilian I that ended the short-lived reign of the Emperor of Mexico. This is one of three paintings that he made.
Maximilian I, born Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen, was a member of the Austrian royalty. He was urged to become the Emperor of Mexico by Napoleon III of France during France’s occupation of Mexico beginning in 1863. The French wanted to intervene and establish a friendly puppet regime while the United States was busy with their own civil war. However, Mexico already elected their own leader, President Benito Juárez. Juárez was a Republican with wide support who was forced to flee from France’s advances.
Maximilian arrived in Mexico with his wife in 1864. He tried to unify his new country by instituting radical social reforms. This included land reforms, religious freedom, extending the vote beyond landowners, abolishing child labor, and restricting working hours. A civil war broke out between the Mexican Republicans and the supporters of the new Emperor. The American Civil War had ended, and American soldiers were unofficially supporting Juárez. The French abandoned the country in 1866, leaving Maximilian with no aid. He was captured, tried, and executed by Republican soldiers in 1867.
In this painting, Manet depicts the brief moment between just after the firing squad shot their guns and before the bullets hit the emperor. Maximilian is on the left wearing a sombrero. He is with his two Generals, Miramón and Mejía, one of which holds his left hand. The firing squad is in blue uniform, reminiscent of the French military uniform. The man to the far right who is loading his gun in preparation for the coup de grace, has a striking resemblance to Napoleon III. In the background, a group of onlookers watch the execution over the top of the wall. The date of 1867 is written on the bottom left corner, which is the date of the execution, not the date that the painting was made.
Manet was in support of the ideologies of the Republican Party in Mexico. However, he was a proud Frenchman and was upset by how poorly Napoleon III acted during this crisis. This painting was heavily inspired by Francisco Goya’s, “The Third of May”. Manet’s not-so-subtle message in his painting did not go over well, and it was banned from being displayed in France. Manet made several versions of the painting idea before finishing this one, which is the final version.
“The Execution of Emperor Maximilian” is currently on display at the Kunsthalle Mannheim in Mannheim, Germany, where it is the star piece.
For more on Édouard Manet, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
