[Site of Execution of Emperor Maximilian]

Art Historical Context

This poignant albumen silver print, titled *[Site of Execution of Emperorilian]*, captures the stark landscape of Cerro de las Campanas in Querét, Mexico, where Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian met his fate by firing squad on June 19, 1867. Created that same year by photographers Noriega and François Aubert—pioneers in documenting Mexico's turbulent Second Empire—Aubert's image transforms a site of tragedy into a haunting visual record. Maximilian's brief reign, backed by Napoleon III of France, ended amid Mexico's fight for republican sovereignty under Benito Juárez, making this photograph a direct witness to a turning point in Latin American history. The medium, an albumen silver print from a glass negative, exemplifies mid-19th-century photography's technical leap. Albumen, derived from egg whites, yielded sharp details and rich tones on paper, ideal for reproducing landscapes like this one, dotted with carriages amid vast terrain. Measuring a modest 11.3 × 14.3 cm, it evokes the era's carte-de-visite format, popular for sharing dramatic events as souvenirs. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, this work bridges photojournalism and art, inviting reflection on imperial ambition's ruins. Its spare composition underscores the landscape's enduring silence, a subtle nod to photography's power in preserving collective memory.

About the Artist

Noriega|François Aubert ( |French) · |1829 – |1906

|French, 1829–1906