Toussaint Louverture on Horseback
Anonymous, French, 19th century French
Sitter Toussaint Louverture Haitian
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.
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