Bust of Napoleon
photographer
Unknown
Datebefore 1919
Place MadeBoston, Massachusetts, United States, North America
MediumPhotograph
ClassificationsPhotographs
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberP17s17
eMuseum ID726536
EmbARK ObjectID17021
TMS Source ID5344
Last Updated8/14/24
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryWhile attending finishing school in Paris during the 1850s, Isabella Stewart Gardner was captivated by French literature, culture, and history. Of particular note is her interest in the former French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. This photograph is one of several souvenirs related to Napoleon that Isabella collected, although the source is unknown. It shows a carved bust of Napoleon sitting next to a mantle, possibly in someone's home. According to Isabella's inscription on the back, it was carved by Guiseppe Ceracchi, who later conspired to assassinate Napoleon and was subsequently executed. Although Ceracchi did carve a bust of Napoleon, it differs greatly in appearance from the one in this photograph. It remains a mystery as to where this photograph came from and where Isabella's attribution to Ceracchi came from.
BibliographyNotesKathleen King,"Relics of an Emperor: Napoleon Bonaparte," Inside the Collection (blog), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 9 August 2022, https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/relics-emperor-napoleon-bonaparte-gardner-museum
MarksNotesInscribed in ink in Isabella Stewart Gardner's hand (on back of mount): Bust of Napoleon, made by Cerrachi, who afterwards conspired against Napoleon's life and was executed.
ProvenanceNotesEntered Isabella Stewart Gardner’s collection at an unknown date.
