Napoleon on Saint Helena. His fight for his Story (6 April to 24 July 2016), Paris, Musée de l'Armée
Napoléon à Sainte Hélène: la conquête de la mémoire. (6 avril - 24 juillet 2016), Paris, musée de l'Armée: Reconstitution de la salle à manger de Longwood, avec les assiettes du service de l'Empéreur et un plat aux armes de l'Empéreur. Au fond: buste du Roi de Rome sur un buffet © Fondation Napoléon
Napoleon on Saint Helena. His fight for his Story (6 April to 24 July 2016), Paris, Musée de l'Armée: reconstruction of part of Napoleon's library on St Helena with the classic Universal Atlas of ancient and modern geography, the abridged collection of ancient and modern around-the-world journeys and the compelte works of Arnault © Fondation Napoléon
Napoleon on Saint Helena. His fight for his Story (6 April to 24 July 2016), Paris, Musée de l'Armée: Napoleon's workroom with his wax seal stamp, his pens and pencils used on St Helena, four playing cards with notes on the Egyptian campaign and his English lessons © Fondation Napoléon
Napoleon on Saint Helena. His fight for his Story (6 April to 24 July 2016), Paris, Musée de l'Armée: reconstitution of the room where Napoleon died on 5 May 1821 with his campaign bed, a chair and an armchair from his room and a death mask of Napoleon © Fondation Napoléon
Napoleon on Saint Helena. His fight for his Story (6 April to 24 July 2016), Paris, Musée de l'Armée: Napoleon on his deathbed, one hour before his burial by Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse © Fondation Napoléon
Napoleon on Saint Helena. His fight for his Story (6 April to 24 July 2016), Paris, Musée de l'Armée: A death Mask of Napoleon reinvented by René Magritte, "The future of statues" © Fondation Napoléon
200 years ago, Napoleon arrived at his last residence on the island of St Helena: Longwood House. He remained there until his death on 5 May 1821. The exhibition at the Musée de l’Armée in Paris reveals the last home of the Emperor through a unique presentation of some of the furniture and furnishings that he lived with, as well as artworks that evoke his surroundings. Napoleon’s exile on St Helena was not simply an imprisonment since it was there that he embarked on his last conquest: to tell his own story for posterity. This island, which separated him from Paris by more than 7200 km, became the place of the writing of the legend.
This exhibition marks the end of a major project devoted to Longwood House. From 2010 to 2014, the Fondation Napoléon, the French Foreign Ministry and the French Domains of St Helena were the pilots of a major operation to restore parts of Longwood House and its furnishings. The presentation of this furniture offers visitors the opportunity to imagine some of Napoleon’s living areas, the most moving of which is probably the room and the bed where the Emperor died.
Many of Napoleon’s personal items are also presented in this exhibition. These touching souvenirs bear witness to the daily life of the Emperor, ranging from imperial relics to bourgeois simplicity.
More details
Exhibition website (in English)
Location: Musée de l’Armée, Les Invalides, Paris, France
Dates: 6 April to 24 July, 2016
Curators: Emilie Robbe, Michel Dancoisne-Martineau, Leah Chaliquart
Set Design: Vincen Cornou Architecture
Number of visitors : 90 265
