Napoleon's tomb with a hidden silhouette 1838 - 1893

"Napoleon's Tomb with a Hidden Silhouette" (1838-1893) by Francois-Charles Oberthür is a lithograph depicting a shadowy silhouette of Napoleon Bonaparte lurking behind the weeping willow trees that surround his tomb. The lithograph, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, uses a dark, moody style that evokes a sense of mystery and intrigue. Oberthür's artwork utilizes a distinct contrast of light and dark, with the foreground dominated by the deep black of the willow trees and the background showing a lighter, more ethereal image of Napoleon. The piece offers a haunting depiction of Napoleon’s legacy, creating a sense of both tragedy and grandeur surrounding the iconic military figure.