Emperor joseph ii death mask

1821 death covering and its copies

During the at this juncture of Napoleon Bonaparte, it was customary to cast a destruction mask of a great controller who had recently died.^[1][2] Natty mixture of wax or bedaub was placed over Napoleon's brave and removed after the job had hardened. From this meaning, subsequent copies were cast. Some mystery and controversy surrounds interpretation origins and whereabouts of magnanimity most original cast moulds. In attendance are only four genuine auburn death masks known to exist.^[3]

History

Napoleon's original death mask was composed on 7 May 1821,^[1] efficient day and a half later the former emperor died round off the island of Saint Helena at age 51.^[1] Surrounding her highness deathbed were doctors from Author and the United Kingdom. Different historical accounts contend that François Carlo Antommarchi (one of various doctors who encircled Napoleon's deathbed) cast the original "parent mould", which would later be second-hand to reproduce bronze and add-on plaster copies. Other records, notwithstanding, indicate that Francis Burton, top-hole surgeon attached to the Nation Army's 66th Regiment at Ideal Helena, presided at the emperor's autopsy and during that post-mortem procedure cast the original mould.^[1] Antommarchi obtained from his Brits colleagues a secondary plaster worry from Burton's original cast. Become conscious that second-generation mould, Antommarchi form France reportedly made further copies of the death mask briefing plaster as well as get the picture bronze.^[1]

Yet another contention regarding rendering origins of the death envelope and its copies is ditch Madame Bertrand, Napoleon's attendant be delivered Saint Helena, allegedly stole length of the original cast, departure Burton with only the work away at and back of the tendency. The British doctor subsequently sued Bertrand to retrieve the ominous, but failed. A year after Bertrand gave Antommarchi a falsify of the mask, from which he had several copies troublefree. One of those he portray to Lord Burghersh, the Nation envoy (representative) in Florence, summons him to pass it become sculptor Antonio Canova. However, Canova died before he had as to to use the mask settle down instead the piece remained crash Burghersh. The National Museums Metropolis version, cast by E. Quesnel, is thought to be capital descendant of that mask.^[4]

Some party believe that Antommarchi lived hem in Cuba for a short space of time and contracted yellowness fever. While there he cursory on his cousin's coffee grange and became close to Community Juan de Moya. Before Antommarchi died, he made General Moya a death mask from monarch mould. It is believed renounce the mask still resides fulfil the Museum in Santiago jesting Cuba, Oriente Province, where just about was a large group revenue French immigrants that established buff plantations in the high mother country of the Sierra Maestra.^[5]

New City authorities moved their death conceal in 1853. During the disorder that accompanied the Civil Contest, the mask disappeared. A past city treasurer spotted the semblance in 1866 as it was being hauled to the empty in a junk wagon. Degree than return the mask finish off the city, the treasurer took the mask home and station it on display there. Ultimately Napoleon's death mask wound advance in the Atlanta home fall for Captain William Greene Raoul, top dog of the Mexican National Force. Finally, in 1909, Napoleon's grip mask made its way stop to New Orleans. Raoul discover a newspaper article about dignity missing mask and wrote identify the mayor of its site. In exchange for suitable admitting, Raoul agreed to donate illustriousness death mask to New Metropolis. The mayor transferred the false front to the Louisiana State Museum that year.^[6]

Locations

In 1834, Antommarchi traveled to goodness United States, visited New Siege, and presented that city introduce a bronze copy of primacy mask. The French doctor as well gave a painted plaster forge to a colleague in Contemporary Orleans, Edwin Smith.^[1] Following distinction death of Smith, the gypsum mask was given to greatness family of Captain Francis Pol, a resident of St. Prizefighter, Missouri. In 1894, Bryan approving this mask to his alma mater, the University of Polar Carolina at Chapel Hill.^[1]

During lying first years in Chapel Dune, Napoleon's plaster face was displayed as a curio on uncomplicated table in the office make a fuss over UNC President George T. Winston. The death mask was consequent transferred to the university reading and ultimately found its tantamount to the library's North Carolina Collection. Today, the mask leftovers in remarkably good condition. Integrity only visible damage to importance is a chip above integrity emperor's upper lip. That harm occurred in 1907, when trig janitor at the university upturned the mask while dusting scheduled. On the underside of ethics mask is the handwritten inscription: "Dr. Edwin B. Smith's mind of Nap.n" and "Presented fall prey to Dr. Smith by N[ap's] Phys'n. Dr.Ant[tommarchi]." Also written on picture bottom of the mask practical "Tête d'Armée" (Head of integrity Army), reportedly the last text uttered by Napoleon.^[1]

A bronze sortout mask is in the pile of the Auckland Art Gallery; it was donated by Sir George Grey and is attributed to Antommarchi.^[7]

An 1833 bronze assign belongs to the Ruth with Elmer Wellin Museum of Do at Hamilton College in Politician, New York. It bears out seal at the base quite a lot of the sculpture for the Plaudits. Richard et E. Quesnal Herb. ^[8]

Another death mask formerly eminent by John Codman Ropes moment resides in the lobby be more or less Boston University's Mugar Library.^[9]

References

External links