Picturing the Horrors

  • Jonathan Marwil
Chapter

Abstract

As Paris celebrated the victory of Magenta, the artist Adolph Yvon was preparing to go to Italy. He had been told that once a significant victory had been announced, he would be summoned to join the army. Magenta was that victory. Montebello had been a minor affair, while Palestro had been shared with the Piedmontese and their king. Magenta, though, was entirely a French success, and a painter’s dream. MacMahon’s timely arrival on the battlefield, together with the deaths of Cler and Espinasse, provided riveting scenes of heroic behavior. As inspiring as a picture of armies colliding could be, it was dull fare compared to images of individual drama. Such scenes could also be useful in shaping the memory of the campaign for the people of France. Rendered as paintings, moments of gloir secured themselves in the mind. The emperor understood this at least as well as any of the artists attending him. He might also have hoped that heroic, uplifting paintings would ultimately soften the memory of high casualty counts.

Keywords

Minor Affair Decisive Victory Austrian Surgeon Double Execution French Painter 
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Notes

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© Jonathan Marwil 2010

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  • Jonathan Marwil

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