The Execution of Marshal Ney
| File:La Mort du Maréchal Ney (1868).jpg | |
| Artist | Jean-Léon Gérôme |
|---|---|
| Year | 1868 |
| Type | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 65.2 cm × 104.2 cm (25.7 in × 41.0 in) |
| Location | Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust, Sheffield |
The Execution of Marshal Ney (French: L'exécution du maréchal Ney) is an 1868 painting by the French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme. It depicts the French Marshal Michel Ney right after his execution on 7 December 1815, with the firing squad seen walking from the site. On the wall behind Ney's corpse are two inscriptions: one that says "vive l'empereur" ("long live the emperor") and is crossed out, and one that says "vive" right before the bullet holes from the execution.[1] According to Gérôme this was a comment on Ney's multiple shifts of allegiance between Napoleon and the House of Bourbon.[2]
The painting is owned by the Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust since 1931.[3]
Reception
The painting was presented at the 1868 Paris Salon. On behalf of Ney's descendants, Gérôme was asked to withdraw the painting, but did not comply.[4] The general reception was very split and the 1868 Salon marked the beginning of a lasting divide between Gérôme and many French art critics. Those who were negative accused the painting of relying on literary techniques, of commercialising art, and of bringing politics into art.[2] Henri Oulevay made a charicature where Gérôme is depicted in front of the wall with the art critics as the firing squad.[5] Théophile Gautier wrote a positive review where he highlighted the many details that give the picture meaning, Gérôme's treatment of the death theme and how the painting captures a mental climate.[6]
References
- Notes
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- ↑ Mitchell 2010, p. 95
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mitchell 2010, p. 98
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- ↑ Mitchell 2010, p. 97
- ↑ Mitchell 2010, p. 99
- ↑ Mitchell 2010, p. 96–97
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