Driskel, Michael Paul.

As befits a legend : building a tomb for Napoleon, 1840-1861 / Michael Paul Driskel.

Kent, Ohio : Kent State University Press, ©1993.

xviii, 251 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

One of the most important funerary monuments in Europe is the tomb of Napoleon, built in the Church of the Invalides in Paris between 1840 and 1861. As Befits a Legend is the first comprehensive examination of its construction process, historical context, and political and social meanings. It is also the only work published in English about this unique structure.
Michael Paul Driskel's study, based on extensive archival research in France, documents the problems inherent in building the appropriate monument for such a controversial figure and the public debate it generated. Following a detailed and illuminating account of the range of proposals put forward, Driskel concludes that the form of the structure represents a symbolic mediation of conflicting demands.
Louis-Tullis Visconti, a major Parisian architect who was officially commissioned for the project, is the subject of intensive scrutiny to determine the nature of his personal contribution to the design, as well as his relationship with the many sculptors involved in the collective construction process. Here Driskel offers a significant contribution to the sociology of architecture and to the question of what "authorship" means in an undertaking of this kind.
As Befits a Legend bridges the disciplines of history and art history and will appeal to historians of architecture, sculpture, society, and culture, as well as those readers fascinated with the history and legend of Napoleon. Nearly 100 photographs of 19th-century statuary, drawings, and lithographs complement the text.

0873384849
9780873384841

Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 Tomb.
Visconti, Louis, 1791-1853 Criticism and interpretation.
Napoléon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821.
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821
Visconti, Louis, 1791-1853
Napoleon I. Frankreich, Kaiser 1769-1821
Napoleon (Frankreich, Kaiser, I.)
Dôme des Invalides (Paris, France)
Neoclassicism (Architecture) France Paris.
Sepulchral monuments France Public opinion.
Public opinion France.
Art and state France History 19th century.
Néoclassicisme (Architecture) France Paris.
Opinion publique France.
Art Politique gouvernementale France Histoire 19e siècle.
Art and state
Buildings
Neoclassicism (Architecture)
Public opinion
Sepulchral monuments Public opinion
Tombs
Grabmal
Grafmonumenten.
Paris (France) Buildings, structures, etc.
France
France Paris
Invalidendom Paris
Paris (France)

Criticism, interpretation, etc.
History

Location: Library main 107455
Call No.: NA44.V825.25 D6 1993
Status: Available