The Execution of Maximilian (1867–68): Artwork and History

The Execution of Maximilian (1867–68) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as Édouard Manet French, 1832-1883.

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

The young Austrian-born Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph was controversially installed as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico in 1864 in an attempt to create a European-style monarchy there, backed by Napoleon III of France and a cohort of monarchists. Seen as part of a European imperialist campaign, Maximilian’s rule was considered illegitimate by those who opposed the French occupation of Mexico. This work interprets the young ruler’s execution in Querétero, Mexico, on June 19, 1867, alongside generals Miguel Miramón (left) and Tomás Mejía (right). Édouard Manet’s composition was inspired by not only history painting and the iconography of Francisco de Goya but also contemporary journalism and the budding field of newspaper photography. One controversial aspect of this print is the presence of French troops in the firing squad rather than those of the Mexican Republic. The lithograph was censored by the French government and was not publicly printed until after Manet’s death.

Object facts

• Title: The Execution of Maximilian
• Date: 1867–68
• Artist attribution: Édouard Manet French, 1832-1883
• Place of origin: France
• Medium: Lithograph in black, with scraping, on ivory chine laid down on ivory wove paper
• Dimensions: Image: 33.5 × 43.4 cm (13 1/4 × 17 1/8 in.); Primary support: 33.8 × 43.6 cm (13 5/16 × 17 3/16 in.); Secondary support: 49 × 59.9 cm (19 5/16 × 23 5/8 in.)
• Type: Print
• Department: Prints and Drawings
• Reference number: 1932.1298

Collection credit

William McCallin McKee Memorial Endowment

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The description above is credited to the Art Institute of Chicago and reused under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0; HTML formatting has been converted to plain text. Other catalogue metadata and the public-domain image are provided under CC0 1.0.