Execution of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, June 19, 1867 Édouard Manet (1832-1883)

Description of Edouard Manet’s painting The Execution of Emperor Maximilian

Édouard Manet was born into a wealthy family--his father was the head of a department of the Ministry of Justice, his mother the daughter of a diplomat. The boy’s father was adamantly opposed to an art education for his son. His first lectures in painting were paid for by his uncle Edward. At his father’s insistence, Manet twice entered the Maritime School and twice failed his exams. By this time the young artist’s whole family already understood that his vocation was canvas and brushes. But Manet’s career was not an easy one, and almost throughout it he faced misunderstanding from critics and ordinary spectators alike. His devotion to the nude caused scandal more than once, and the Salon de Paris considered his work indecent.

The painting "The execution of Emperor Maximilian" depicts a difficult, transitional moment in the history of Mexico. Maximilian received the title of emperor during the French conquest of Mexican lands. However, the country’s armed forces remained loyal to the true Mexican president, Benito Juárez, and were unwilling to submit to an outsider from Europe. Maximilian was captured and shot.

Edouard Manet was actively interested in politics, and this event made a profound impression on him. There are several author’s versions of the painting, the most famous being kept in Mannheim. The soldiers in this painting are dressed in standard field uniforms, common not only in Mexico but also in many other countries. Next to Maximilian are two generals loyal to him. The sombrero on the Emperor’s head is held at the very top of his head, which creates two interesting and very striking symbols. First, the hat seems out of size and about to fall off, which alludes to the ineffective and truly disastrous rule of Maximilian, who had absolutely no understanding of the Mexican people. Second, the gold border makes the top of the sombrero look like the halo of a martyr, the halo of a saint. From behind the fence, onlookers watch the execution. In general, the picture seems quite calm, which was the reason for the criticism of the painting and the government censorship. Because of its detachment and ambiguity, it was forbidden to be shown publicly.