Death masks / Napoleon I's mask

Death masks are molded maks on recently dead people, which let the body intact while keeping a 3D portrait of the deceased person. It's the most "true" portrait ever : indeed, what's more alive than a death mask ? It's proportional representation which make the departing look real.

The Napoleon Bonaparte's death mask (or Antommarchi mask), has been the subject of a controversy as to its authenticity. Indeed, after the death of the french Emperor in 1821, the print of his face had been molding in plaster. But several masks had been presented as authentic, those taken by the doctors of the Saint Helene's Island (island where the Emperor died) : Archibald Arnott, Francis Burton et François Antommarchi.

It all begins after the death of Napoleon. The countess Bertrand had asked for a print of the Emperor's face but because of the state of decomposition of the body, the mold of Burton didn't really matched with Napoleon's face. Antommarchi, who had announced at the countess that the print couldn't be returned went jealous of his colleague's success, so, with the help of the countess, robbed the masterpiece. The "mask of Burton" became the "mask Antommarchi".

In 1833, the "mask Arnott" appeared for the first time in public. It brought surprise and jealousy. The brother of Napoleon, Jérôme, was the owner. But it had been stolen, and in 1850, Napoleon III, the Emperor's nephew, bought it and kept it in the Tuileries, contrarely of the Antommarchi mask.

In 1855, a Napoleon's statue had been built, but his face didn't matched at all with the official mask.

In 1869, the Antommarchi's progeny suggested an older copy of the mask at the french Emperor, but he refused.

Later, the prince Victor, adjusted his own copy of the mask, which gave an other face to Napoleon...

So, if you don't know what to think about the text you just read, that's normal. Just memorize that you'll never know what Napoleon looked like because even in death he'll never be himself because of the people that kept touched up his "face". He'll always be as people saw him and not as he was ! Por Napoleon...

Now you probably wonder why I'm talking about death masks. Well, simply because the one on the picture above is in our exhibition. Why ? Because there's no better way to represent ourselves than death masks ! It's the exact copy of our physical appearence, which transcribed all our feelings, our injuries, our life... So what's more alive than a death mask ?