Toussaint Louverture on Horseback

1802

Not on view

Toussaint-Louverture emerged as a leader during the widespread uprisings of enslaved people in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) in 1791 that led eventually to the abolition of slavery there in 1793. He became the first Black general of the French Republic in 1795 and ascended to commander in chief of Saint-Domingue in 1797. This hand-colored print of 1802 portrays him as an imposing force, although its status as a likeness is doubtful given that the artist probably never saw the subject. By this date, Napoléon Bonaparte had grown concerned over Toussaint’s increasing power and sent troops to capture him. He died imprisoned in France in 1803. One of his lieutenants, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, declared Haiti independent in 1804.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Toussaint Louverture on Horseback
Artist: Anonymous, French, 19th century
Sitter: Toussaint Louverture (Haitian, Cap-Hatien 1743–1803 Château de Joux, La Cluse-et-Mijoux, France)
Date: 1802
Medium: Etching
Dimensions: Sheet: 16 9/16 × 10 3/4 in. (42 × 27.3 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Object Number: 83.2.936
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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