The Execution of Maximilian
1867–68
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.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
13563
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
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 ...