Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, a member of the Hapsburg family of Austria, was installed into power in Mexico by Napoleon III of France. This was an attempt to recover unpaid debts and establish a European presence in Mexico at this time. Unfortunately, this endeavor ended with the execution of Maximilian and two of his generals by firing squad. The composition of the painting is a direct echo of Francisco Goya’s famous Third of May, 1808. Neither the paintings nor a lithograph of the subject was permitted to be shown in France.
Execution of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico
oil on canvas • 252 x 305 cm
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Édouard Manet