Napoléon last hour on Sainte-Hélène

All pictures rights ADAGP Paris 2023

Napoléon dies in exile in Sainte-Hélène May 5th, 1821 at 17h49 local time. 48 hours later a poor-quality plaster death mask is taken by Burton and Antommarchi. The mask is composed of a frontal central part, and probably a two-piece back mold of the head. Antommarchi pours plaster inside the negative mold to create a positive facial death mask. In the process, he needs to break the original negative print in order to extract the facial positive (probably due to overlapping parts). The back parts are lost.

This production shows Napoléon on his deathbed.

Due to air by the end of 2023.

Client
CAPA Agency

Paris, France.

Year
2023