The Execution of Emperor Maximilian
1867
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Edouard Manet
Édouard Manet didn’t have much time to make his mark—he died at 51—but he used every year.
See the richer artist page1867
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Execution of Emperor Maximilian is a 1867 by Edouard Manet, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This sketch shows a group of soldiers standing in a line, all facing the same way. Some hold rifles, others carry musical instruments. The background is dark and blurry, like a crowd or a building, but the faces are mostly hidden. Light hits the soldiers from the side, making their uniforms stand out. The artist used quick, rough lines to draw the scene, almost like a hurried sketch. The soldiers look tense, and the way they’re grouped together feels urgent. Check out Realism to see how artists like this one showed everyday life without softening the harsh parts.
Édouard Manet didn’t have much time to make his mark—he died at 51—but he used every year.
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