Drawing

Title:

The Shade of Napoleon Visiting His Tomb

Object Name:

Drawing

Object ID:

1979.019.03

Creator:

Taylor, Mary Abbie (1836-1934)Artist

Date:

circa 1850

Description:

Drawing. The Shade of Napoleon Visiting His Tomb, by Mary Abbie Taylor (1836-1934), c. 1850. Charcoal and pastel crayon and marble powder on paper. Copied from a lithograph, "The Shade of Napoleon Visiting His Tomb," by Jean Victor Adam (1801-1867), Paris, France, c. 1830. Night landscape of a tomb with large cross on lid, lying diagonally in foreground right. A large black bird (raven) stands over tomb. Two weeping willows in left middle ground. A profile of a man standing (Napoleon), wearing a bicorne hat, is formed between the two tree trunks. A body of water and a moon low on the horizon in background. Pencil inscription on reverse: "Grave and Shade of Napoleon / Night clos'd around Napoleon's final Home / a shadowy form stood by the moonlight Tomb." Separate piece of paper included with picture that reads: "Grave and Shade of Napoleon / Night clos'd around Napoleon's final Home (or House) / a shadowy form stood by the moonlight Tomb." Written on back "by Grandniece Woodbury". Unframed.

Material:

Paper

Dimensions:

H-10.1 W-8.2 inches

Provenance:

Collection of objects from the Sawyer, Whittle, and Woodbury families, donated by their descendants, sisters Ruth A. Woodbury (1902-1985) and Dorcas L. Woodbury (1907-1980). Drawn by Mary A. (Taylor) Woodbury (1836-1934), the grandmother of the donors, Ruth A. Woodbury and Dorcas L. Woodbury.

Credit Line:

Gift of Ruth A. Woodbury and Dorcas L. Woodbury

People:

Bonaparte, Napoleon (1769-1821), Taylor, Mary Abbie (1836-1934), Woodbury, Daniel Peterson (1827-1913), Woodbury, Ruth A. (1902-1985), Woodbury, Dorcas L. (1907-1980)

Subjects:

Napoleon, Death, Mourning, Romanticism, Graves, Tombs and sepulchral monuments, Tombstones