MA & LouisXVI's remains

[Sissi]

  I came across this drawing which is today at the French Senat, I had never seen it before, it was made by David!

[Sissi]

Macabre ins`t it??

[Eddie_uk]

Thank you Sissi, that is repellent!

[Sissi]

Right!!! I was very surprised when I saw it!! I know David was present at the execution, but I did not that he made this drawing out of life!!!!!!

 I think that as an artist and person he went too far!!!! No wonder Louis XVIII made him feel that he was no longer welcome and that it was best for him to flee the country!!!!!!!

   

[pers]

The wax model of her severed head is at Mme Tussand's (sic) museum in London.  That was actually made before she was buried right off her real head.  I saw a photograph of it, although the museum gave her a hairdo which is not technically correct as her hair was cut off before the excecution.

[bell_the_cat]

Right!!! I was very surprised when I saw it!! I know David was present at the execution, but I did not that he made this drawing out of life!!!!!!

  I think that as an artist and person he went too far!!!! No wonder Louis XVIII made him feel that he was no longer welcome and that it was best for him to flee the country!!!!!!!

    

Are you sure this is by David? There's a famous sketch of her by him on the way to her execution. The one you posted seems to have been done by another (less talented) person! Just my opinion!

David voted for the King's execution which was one reason he might have expected to not find favour with the resored Bourbons. Nevertheless Louis XVIII was prepared to let bygones be bygones and actually offered him the position of court painter, which David refused, preferring to stay in voluntary exile in Brussels.

[Sissi]

The wax model of her severed head is at Mme Tussand's (sic) museum in London.  That was actually made before she was buried right off her real head.  I saw a photograph of it, although the museum gave her a hairdo which is not technically correct as her hair was cut off before the excecution.

Very interesting Pers! I had no idea that such a thing was made before she was buried!
 Do you know if they did the same thing with Louis XVI???

[Sissi]

My dear bell the Cat you are correct! and also thinking about it, the guillotine had probably a more "clean" cut!

[Sissi]

Bell the Cat where is the link and message you just post! I cannot see it anymore???

[coquelicot]

It's interesting to notice how it is the head of a young woman, although so many sources describe the queen as old, tired... and so on.

I don't think this sketch is more terrible than the awful one we always find by David.

This man was a detestable guy !

[Sissi]

It's interesting to notice how it is the head of a young woman, although so many sources describe the queen as old, tired... and so on.

I don't think this sketch is more terrible than the awful one we always find by David.

This man was a detestable guy !

i COMPLETELY AGREE! DETESTABLE!!! She really was hated!!!!
 It is interesting because if you look at the death mask of Napoleon he also looks young!

[Sissi]

[Sissi]

Hard to recognize the beautiful, glamorous, elegant Marie Antoinette!

[coquelicot]

This man was a voyeur and a bastard, I tell you !

[bell_the_cat]

Bell the Cat where is the link and message you just post! I cannot see it anymore???

Sorry I deleted the link, because I wanted to think about it (but you were too quick for me)!

here it is:

http://www.senat.fr/evenement/archives/D22/mantoinette.html

It seems the writing is definitely by someone else - and the face looks like a direct copy of the more famous sketch of MA on the way to the execution. I happen to think that the latter (which you have since been posted) shows a great deal of pity for MA as a human being - and is unquestionably the work of David. I disagree with Coquelicot that it is voyeuristic.

I agree, Sissi - the guillotine would have been kept sharp enough to make a cleaner slice! So I think all in all the beheaded sketch is a) not by David and b) not done at the time of the execution. Actually it was not possible to get that close to the execution, as the scaffold was surrounded by soldiers.