Napoleon’s Death Masks. A bibliography. 3rd update
Prévot, Chantal
Napoleon’s Death Masks. A bibliography. 3rd update - 2020.
94
Because of its historical and emotional charge, Napoleon’s death mask had at the time, and still has today, a mesmeric effect on viewers. The making of the mask and the search for the original cast constitutes one of the mysteries (or rather-pseudo-mysteries) that surround the death of the Emperor. The situation resembles that of an imbroglio, where masks - very different from one another both in the materials used and the image reproduced - suddenly appear on the Napoleonic scene, only to disappear again, just as suddenly, into a private collection or on permanent loan to a museum. Historical certainty only emerges via certain partial, and occasionally biased, witnesses, not to mention certain attempts at scientific analyses. The reconstruction of the travels of these potentially authentic masks up to today is only supported by suppositions, sometimes even merely deeply held beliefs. A first version of this article appeared in 2008. This was followed by a first revision in 2016. The publication of new studies had necessitated a second revision, providing greater detail on certain subjects.
Napoleon’s Death Masks. A bibliography. 3rd update - 2020.
94
Because of its historical and emotional charge, Napoleon’s death mask had at the time, and still has today, a mesmeric effect on viewers. The making of the mask and the search for the original cast constitutes one of the mysteries (or rather-pseudo-mysteries) that surround the death of the Emperor. The situation resembles that of an imbroglio, where masks - very different from one another both in the materials used and the image reproduced - suddenly appear on the Napoleonic scene, only to disappear again, just as suddenly, into a private collection or on permanent loan to a museum. Historical certainty only emerges via certain partial, and occasionally biased, witnesses, not to mention certain attempts at scientific analyses. The reconstruction of the travels of these potentially authentic masks up to today is only supported by suppositions, sometimes even merely deeply held beliefs. A first version of this article appeared in 2008. This was followed by a first revision in 2016. The publication of new studies had necessitated a second revision, providing greater detail on certain subjects.
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