{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O34920"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O34920/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JY6250/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JY6250/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017JY6250","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JY6251","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O34920/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O34920","accessionNumber":"A.43-1983","objectType":"Bust","titles":[{"title":"Napoleon III","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux was a leading sculptor of the Second Empire in France, the period of rule by Napoleon III (1808-1873) as Emperor of the French, which lasted from 1852 until 1870 when Republican forces took over and Napoleon was overthrown. He fled to exile in England and lived with his wife and son at Camden Place, Chislehurst, Kent. \r\n \r\nCarpeaux had been court sculptor in France until the Emperor’s exile and came himself to London March-December 1871 and was commissioned to sculpt a bust of Napoleon at the end of his stay. Carpeaux made preparatory drawings at Chislehurst but returned to Paris in 1872. When Napoleon died on 9 January 1873, the Empress summoned him back. The first version of the bust (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art) was produced by Carpeaux for the Empress herself and the second version for Count Paul Demidoff. \r\n\r\nThis V&A bust is an authorized second version of the portrait executed for the imperial family and commissioned by the Empress in 1874. The sculptor's workshop later produced terracotta and plaster versions in various sizes for sale to Bonapartist supporters.","physicalDescription":"White marble bust with contemporary base and column. Napoleon III is shown facing forwards with his eyes turned to his left, bare-chested, with a large moustache.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Carpeaux, Jean-Baptiste","id":"A3577"},"association":{"text":"sculptor","id":"AAT25181"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"marble","id":"AAT11571"}],"techniques":[{"text":"sculpted","id":"x30774"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Sculpted marble","categories":[{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Politics","id":"THES48908"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2017JY6250","2017JY6251"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES383990"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bust","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Paris","id":"x29068"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1874","earliest":"1874-01-01","latest":"1874-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"60","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"36.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"27","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"27","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/9/16","earliest":"2016-09-13","latest":"2016-09-13"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"36.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/9/16","earliest":"2016-09-13","latest":"2016-09-13"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dims taken by Scp Oct 05","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Reproduction autorisee par S. M. L'Imperatrice du Buste de Napoleon III execute apres Deces, 1874'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"inscribed on left side"},{"content":"'Chiselhurst (sic) 13 Janvier 1873'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"inscribed on right side"},{"content":"J Bte Carpeaux","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"signed on right side"},{"content":"NAPOLEON III","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"inscribed on the front of the contemporary base"}],"objectHistory":"This bust is an authorized second version of the portrait executed for the imperial family. Carpeaux, who had been court sculptor to Napoleon III, made preparatory studies when he visited the exiled ex-Emperor at Chislehurst in 1871 and was called by telegram in 1873 to his deathbed to make further drawings. He completed the bust that year. In fact he made two marble versions. The first was for the Empress and the other, this one, which she authorised, was made for Count Paul Demidoff, who was closely associated with the royal family.\r\nPurchased from Heim Gallery, for £28,000, in 1983.","historicalContext":"Carpeaux had been court sculptor to Napoleon III (1808-1873) until the Emperor left for exile in England 1870. The sculptor's workshop later produced terracotta and plaster versions of this bust in various sizes for sale to Bonapartist supporters.","briefDescription":"Bust, white marble, of Napoleon III, by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Paris, 1874","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lami, S. <u>Dictionnaire des Sculpteurs de l'Ecole Francaise au XIXe. siecle</u>, IV, pp.273-4"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Clement-Carpeaux, L., <u>La Verite sur l'oeuvre et la vie de J. B. Carpeaux</u>, Paris, 1934, I, pp. 365ff."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Corbeau-Parsons, Caroline, ed. <u>Impressionists in London: French Artists in Exile 1870-1904</u>, exh. cat., 2017, pp.188-189."},{"reference":{"text":"Butler, Ruth and van Nimmen, Jane, <i>Nineteenth Century French Sculpture: monuments for the middle class</i>, J. B. Speed Museum, Kentucky, 1971","id":"AUTH357191"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"Carpeaux made preparatory studies when he visited the exiled ex-Emperor at Chislehurst in 1871. This bust is an authorized second version of the portrait executed for the imperial family.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Napoleon III","id":"N2309"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"'American and European Art and Design 1800-1900'\r\n\r\nCarpeaux had been court sculptor to Napoleon III (1808-1873) until the Emperor left for exile in England 1870. This bust is an authorized second version of the portrait executed for the imperial family. Carpeaux made preparatory studies when he visited the exiled ex-Emperor at Chislehurst in 1871 and was called by telegram in 1873 to his deathbed to make further drawings. The sculptor's workshop later produced terracotta and plaster versions in various sizes for sale to Bonapartist supporters.","date":{"text":"1987-2006","earliest":"1987-01-01","latest":"2006-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["A.43-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"43","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LW9592"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-06","recordCreationDate":"2000-04-06","availableToBook":false}}