The Last Moment of the Emperor Maximilian
date: label: Date made
content: ca 1890
name: label: graphic artist
content: Babbage, T.
label: publisher
content: Magazine of Art
notes: label: Description
content: This relief print from <i>The Magazine of Art</i> dramatically illustrates the final moments before the execution of the Mexican Emperor Maximilian I in 1867. An Austrian noble by birth, Maximilian was installed by Napoleon III of France. French forces had invaded Mexico in 1862, after President Benito Juárez suspended payments on its foreign debt. Despite a major victory by Mexican forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, the French seized control of large sections of Mexico, including the capital. Maximilian was initially supported by Mexican conservatives in a backlash against the changes instituted by the Mexican War of Reform (1857–1861). However, once on the throne, his support of a free press, open universities, land reform, and other progressive ideas of the day proved to be out of step with his conservative constituency and the Catholic Church. Menaced by the government of the United States, victorious after its own civil war, and the rising success of Mexican nationalist forces, the French withdrew their military support of Maximilian, the last emperor of Mexico. This historic image is one of 45,000 artistic and commercials prints housed in the Graphic Arts Collection of the National Museum of American History.
label: Description (Spanish)
content: Esta impresión en relieve de <i>La Revista de Arte</i> ilustra dramáticamente los últimos momentos previos a la ejecución del Emperador Maximiliano en 1867. Noble nacido en Austria, Maximiliano fue llevado al poder por Napoleón III de Francia, cuyas fuerzas invadieron México en 1862 luego de que el Presidente Benito Juárez suspendiera los pagos de la deuda externa. A pesar de la importante victoria del ejército mexicano en la batalla de Puebla el 5 de mayo de 1862, los franceses asumieron el control de grandes secciones de México, incluyendo la capital. Al principio, Maximiliano recibió el apoyo de los conservadores mexicanos, quienes reaccionaron en contra de los cambios instituidos por la Guerra de Reforma de México (1857–1861). Sin embargo, una vez que ocupó el trono, su respaldo a la libertad de prensa, a las universidades abiertas, a la reforma agraria, junto a otras ideas progresistas de la época probó estar en desacuerdo con sus partidarios conservadores y con los miembros de la iglesia católica. Amenazado por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos, que había salido victorioso de su propia Guerra Civil, y por los triunfos en aumento de las fuerzas nacionales mexicanas, los franceses retiraron el apoyo militar a Maximiliano, el último emperador de México. Esta imagen histórica se cuenta entre las 45.000 obras artísticas y comerciales que alberga la Colección de Artes Gráficas del Museo Nacional de Historia Americano.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: New York
label: Place Made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
label: Associated Place
content: France
title: label: Title (Spanish)
content: El Último Momento del Emperador Maximiliano
topic: label: Subject
content: Latino
label: Subject
content: Cinco de Mayo
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Mexican America
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content: Art
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1996.0197.350
label: catalog number
content: 1996.0197.350
label: accession number
content: 1996.0197
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sheet
label: Object Name
content: sheet (paper)
label: Object Type
content: relief
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 17.7 cm x 24 cm; 6 15/16 in x 9 7/16 in