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Napoleon's Eagle

A work made of stipple and engraving on ivory wove paper.

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  • A work made of stipple and engraving on ivory wove paper.

Date:

1842

Artist:

Henry Thomas Ryall
English, 1811-1867

About this artwork

Napoleon Bonaparte’s profile appears in silhouette before the setting sun, mourned by an eagle with a downcast head. The print’s title references the emperor’s penchant for using sculpted gilt eagles on top of his battle standards, which were variations on similar eagles sported by Roman legions. The British animal painter Edwin Landseer, who produced the design for this memorial roundel, specialized in poignant scenes of pets lamenting their owner’s demise. Curiously, here he turned the emperor’s standard into an actual bird.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Henry Thomas Ryall

Title

Napoleon's Eagle

Place

England (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1842

Medium

Stipple and engraving on ivory wove paper

Dimensions

Plate: Diam.: 18 cm (7 1/8 in.); Sheet: 36.4 × 31.2 cm (14 3/8 × 12 5/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Col. Robert R. McCormick

Reference Number

1954.1185

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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