Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Reading of the First Agenda of the army of Italy in the suburbs of Paris
Reading of the First Agenda of the army of Italy in the suburbs of Paris

Reading of the First Agenda of the army of Italy in the suburbs of Paris

Original Language TitleLecture du Premier Ordre du Jour de l'armée d'Italie dans Les Faubourgs de Paris
Artist Camille Silvy (French, 1834 - 1910)
Dateca. 1859
MediumAlbumen print
DimensionsImage: 10 x 7 1/4 inches (25.4 x 18.42 cm)
Mount: 18 5/8 x 10 7/8 inches (47.32 x 27.61 cm)
Mat: 20 x 16 inches (50.8 x 40.64 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Hall Family Foundation in honor of the 75th anniversary of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Object number2008.25.21
Inscribedrecto: handwritten(?) in ink: Lecture du Premier Ordre du Jour de l'armee dans Les FGaubourgs de Paris
Markingsrecto: artist's stamp, in red ink. "C. Silvy."
On View
Not on view
Collections
DescriptionImage depicts a group of young Parisian men gathered outdoors around a poster with text detailing Napoleon III's Ordre du Jour to his army, which Napoleon had sent to Paris from Italy on the eve of war with Austria.Exhibition History

Magnificent Gifts for the 75th. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, February 13 - April 4, 2010, no cat.

Gallery Label
In 1859, Napoleon III of France agreed to assist Italy in expelling the invading Austrian army in return for Italy’s cession of the French Riviera. After joining his army in Italy, Napoleon drafted an Ordre du Jour to the army and had the text sent to Paris overnight. It was then printed and posted around Paris—a gesture which brought the Parisian population into direct contact with military events on the eve of war. Recognizing the historic significance of this moment, Camille Silvy first drew a typical group of Parisians looking at the poster, and then made a photograph to echo the drawing. The photograph was widely reproduced in newspapers of the day as an engraving.
Information about a particular artwork or image, including provenance information, is based upon historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on artwork and images is an ongoing process, and the information about a particular artwork or image may not reflect the most current information available to the Museum. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about a particular artwork or image, please e-mail provenance@nelson-atkins.org.