712 - H. KNAUTH (*1804) after STEUBEN (*1788), The Death of Napoleon Bonaparte, Lithograph

H. KNAUTH (*1804) after STEUBEN (*1788), The Death of Napoleon Bonaparte, Lithograph Heinrich Knauth (1804, Dresden – after 1845, ibid.) after Carl von Steuben (1788, Bauerbach (Meiningen) – 1856, Paris): The Death of Napoleon Bonaparte, 19th century, lithograph Technique: Lithography on paper Inscription: Signed on the printing plate at the bottom: "Painted by Steuben in Paris / drawn on stone by Knauth." Inscribed at the bottom of the printing plate: “The Death of Napoleon (May 5, 1821) | at the lithographic institute of F.C. Vogel in Frankfurt am Main.” Date: 19th century Description: “Our eyes, fixed on the head of the exalted Emperor, turned away from it only to read in the eyes of Dr. Antomarchi whether there was still hope. This is how Mr. Marchand, Napoleon Bonaparte’s first valet de chambre, recounts in his unpublished memoirs the death of his emperor on May 5, 1821. After the crushing defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon, stripped of his offices, was exiled to the Atlantic island of St. Helena. He lived there for over six years without his family and with a modest staff until he likely succumbed to stomach cancer in 1821. Based on Marchand’s account, this poignant scene depicts the moment of the French Emperor’s death at Longwood House. From quiet melancholy to desperate dismay, a wide range of emotions can be seen among those present. Seated near the deathbed are General Bertrand and his family, who, like Adjutant General de Montholon on the right, had followed the Emperor into exile and remained among his most loyal confidants until the very end. “Thus the Emperor died surrounded by some of his servants, but not by the natural objects of love that a man seeks in his final moments—a mother, a wife, a son.” The enclosed legend sheet provides information in large print about the people present and reproduces an excerpt from Marchand’s memoirs. Keywords: Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte; Death; May 5, 1821; Valet; Hr; Marchand; Memoirs; Waterloo; Atlantic island of St. Helena; Exiled; Stomach cancer; Longwood House; General Bertrand; Adjutant General de Montholon; French; Gloom; Consternation; Most loyal confidant; Servant; Love; Caption sheet; Persons; Excerpt; Marchand’s memoirs., 19th century, Romanticism, Genre, St. Helena, Size: Paper: 59.6 cm x 75.6 cm (23.5 x 29.8 in), Image: 47.3 cm x 65.0 cm (18.6 x 25.6 in) Condition: Very good condition. Cleaned. Minor restored tears and minimal staining at the margins. The explanatory sheet has minimal staining and creasing.