Édouard Manet - Study for The Execution of Emperor Maximilian 1867

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Study for The Execution of Emperor Maximilian 1867

Study for The Execution of Emperor Maximilian 1867
195x259cm oil/canvas
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA

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From Museum of Fine Arts, Boston:
In 1867, Maximilian, emperor of Mexico, was executed with two of his generals by order of the opposing leader, Benito Juárez. The Parisian press reacted with horror against the rebel troops in Mexico and against Napoleon III in France; Napoleon had installed the Austrian Maximilian on the Mexican throne in 1864, but later withdrew support for his regime. Breaking with tradition, Manet represented the contemporary event on the grand scale usually reserved for scenes from ancient history or myth. This unfinished canvas is the first of several versions.