In the middle of the 19th century, Edouard Manet, the renowned French modernist painter, was known for his rebellious artistic style. His bold brushstrokes and unconventional subjects made him an outcast of the conservative art society of the time. But Manet was unapologetic and continued to push the boundaries in his work. It was during this time that he turned his attention to a controversial political event: the execution of Emperor Maximilian. The execution was a recent but important event that had occurred in the short-lived Second Mexican Empire and caught Manet’s attention. Despite the controversy surrounding the event, Manet was fascinated by it and felt compelled to capture it on a canvas. He executed a series of five paintings between 1867 and 1869, based on political reports and quotations. The paintings depicted the firing squad execution of Emperor Maximilian I, who had been captured by Mexican forces. Manet’s paintings were considered radical for their time, as French artistic society was not used to such overtly political art, especially from a modernist painter. It was therefore no surprise that the paintings were not exhibited while Manet was alive. Despite this, Manet’s execution of Emperor Maximilian’s paintings gained notoriety after his death. Why did Manet choose to paint this controversial political subject? What is the story behind the paintings?
Emperor Maximilian and the short-lived Second Mexican Empire
The execution of the emperor Maximilian was the news in that period. Maximilian, who was the second son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria of the House of Habsburg and Princess Sophia of Bavaria, was encouraged by Napoleon III to become Emperor of Mexico after the French intervention in Mexico . Maximilian followed the advice and arrived in Mexico in May 1864. However, he faced strong opposition from forces loyal to deposed president Benito Juárez throughout his reign, and the Empire collapsed after Napoleon withdrew the French troops in 1866. His brief reign took a drastic turn when he was captured at Cerro de las Campanas in May 1867 and sentenced to death in a court-martial. He was then executed on June 19, 1867.
Why did Manet paint this subject?
Manet had his reasons for painting this bloody political subject. He is known to have supported the republican cause, but was inspired to work on a painting influenced by Goya’s May 3, 1808. The Kunsthalle Mannheim now houses the final work, which was painted between 1868 and 1869. It is interesting to know that in the lower left corner of the painting, Manet has signed his name and the date of Maximilian’s execution in 1867, not between 1868–1869. According to art historians, Manet was denied permission to reproduce the lithograph in 1869 by strangers, but an edition of 50 prints was produced in 1884, after his death. Examples of lithography are given by Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
What do the paintings show and why were they never exhibited during Monet’s lifetime?
The Boston version of the painting, which is very famous, shows the soldiers in Mexican Republican clothing and sombreros. The Execution of Maximilian, Manet’s last piece in a series of compositions on the same theme that he wrote between 1867 and 1869, represents a recent political event. The execution and the condemned—Maximilian and two of his generals—are easily recognizable, and there is no doubt about the course of action. However, the artist seems strangely to have distanced the scene from the horrific violence involved. This is most evident in the officer on the far right, who checks his rifle in peace, and in the row of rather indifferent spectators looking over the back wall. Maximilian’s face is crudely painted and appears obliterated, but his hat tilts upwards to frame his head like a martyr’s halo. However, according to the old-school artwork, there is one thing that is completely wrong about the painting. Due to the height of the wall, viewers could not be in the position shown unless they were standing on scaffolding. The artist, no doubt aware that this is a faulty drawing, may have tried to hide it by making the foreground stand out strongly from the background and drawing attention away from the base of the wall by placing as little as possible between the black pant legs of prisoners and soldiers. In fact, for lack of Mexicans, the artist had been forced to borrow equipment from a French regiment.
In the execution of Maximilian, Manet seems to be as concerned with the historical works of art as with the event that took place. The composition of the painting is very similar to Francisco Goya’s famous Tres de Mayo 1808, in which French troops kill Spanish citizens. Manet’s work maintains a chillingly ambiguous tone, although Goya’s picture includes both absolute heroes and villains. The painting seems to avoid taking a strong stance on the controversial events surrounding Maximilian’s execution, acting almost like a reportage. The artist appears to have adapted elements of the work from French newspapers and eyewitness accounts. The Execution implicitly criticized Napoleon III, despite its aesthetic pretensions to objectivity. As a result, the lithograph of the work was censored by the French government, and the painting itself was not shown to the public until 1879.
Édouard Manet’s The Execution of the Emperor Maximilian is a testament to the power of art to capture the depth of human emotion and the gravity of historical events. Through his unique style and unflinching interpretation, Manet brings to life the tragedy surrounding Maximilian’s execution. The painting’s ability to evoke empathy and provoke contemplation has secured its place as a timeless masterpiece in the annals of art history.
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