Mortuary mask of the Emperor Napoleon I. - Lot 51

Mortuary mask of the Emperor Napoleon I. In white marble, sculpted, engraved at the neck " By Antommarchi ". Height : 32 cm. A.B.E. (Some small stains) Mid 19th century. The book "L'affaire du masque de Napoléon" by Baron Eugène de Veauce and various correspondences between the Baron and the owner of the mask about our mask are enclosed. Biography : Dr. Francesco Carlo ANTOMMARCHI (1780-1838) began his studies in Livorno and was subsequently awarded a doctorate in philosophy and medicine at the University of Pisa in March 1808. He then moved to Florence where he was attached to the Santa Maria Nuovanb hospital. In 1812 he obtained the degree of surgeon at the University of Florence (then Imperial University) whose president appointed him prosector. At the request of Napoleon's mother, Maria Letizia Ramolino, and his uncle, Cardinal Fesch, Antommarchi left Florence for St. Helena where he became the emperor's physician in exile until the emperor's death. Although he was completely unknown to the imperial family, and Napoleon's physician on Elba, Foureau de Beauregard, had volunteered for this role, this strange choice had been proposed by Chevalier Colonna, in the service of Madame Mère. He received on December 19, 1818 an official letter of engagement. Antommarchi was sent to St. Helena to replace Dr. Barry Edward O'Meara, expelled from the island in July 1818. Antommarchi arrived at Longwood in September 1819, as Napoleon's illness had progressed. After Napoleon's death, Antommarchi wrote the Memoirs of Doctor F. Antommarchi, or The Last Moments of Napoleon. His conclusion was that the illustrious patient had died of stomach cancer. In 1831, Antommarchi went to Poland where he became the general inspector of Polish hospitals during the November Uprising; there he helped the Polish people rise up against the Russians. He fled to Paris to escape the forces of the tsar. In 1833, he participated in the subscription for a death mask of the Emperor Napoleon. This gave rise to much controversy, which is still very much in the news today. The death mask, called "Antommarchi" because it was signed by his hand during the 1833 subscription, is however recognized as being from an original, made by him in London in August 1821.