manet and the execution of maximilian
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This final painting is the largest and most definitive work of the Execution of Maximilian series. Here Manet included a background landscape with spectators, which he borrowed from an earlier painting titled Bullfight, which in turn referenced Goya's Tauromaquia prints. These elements connect the site of the execution to a place dedicated to the ritual killing of animals, making the brutality of the subject all the more shocking. They also compress the foreground space, heightening the dramatic tension of the scene.

 

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manet and the execution of maximilian
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Edouard Manet. The Execution of Emperor Maximilian. 1868–69. Oil on canvas, 8' 3 3/16 x 9' 10 7/8"
(252 x 302 cm). Kunsthalle Mannheim. Photo: Margita Wickenhäuser

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manet and the execution of maximilian
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Copyright 2006 by the Museum of Modern Art