Napoleon Bonaparte. A sketch of Napoleon on his deathbed by Lt. Col. Ward (1798-1878). Inscribed...

Napoleon Bonaparte.
A sketch of Napoleon on his deathbed by Lt. Col. Ward (1798-1878). Inscribed Napoleon on his deathbed, St. Helena 6th May 1821. Taken on the spot by Lt. Colonel Ward and signed. Framed with an accompanying letter by Ward. 11 x 19cm (sketch only).

Ward was a guard at Longwood and after Napoleon's death he made some sketches of the body on the spot. He also executed a plaster medallion of Napoleon's head and attended his funeral in 1821. Ward was born in Waterford Ireland and served 1816-1842 and would have been around 22 at the time of Napoleon's death. In later years he made several sketches of his original drawing and this may be one of those. Certainly the letter includes writing verso (which appear to be in Ward's hand) comprising of two quotes from Adolphe Thier's 'History of the Consulate' which was published in instalments from 1845-1862.

Recto:
The face had a remarkably placid expression and indicated mildness and sweetness of disposition. Those who gazed on the features as they lay in the still repose of death could not help exclaiming 'How beautiful!'. The head was so large as to be disproportioned to the rest of the body and the forehead was very broad and full. The skin was perfectly white and delicate notwithstanding the accumulation of external fat the whole frame was slender and effeminate. On the left leg near the ankle was a tear, which appeared to have been occasioned by a wound. He died on Saturday the 5th May 1821 at 20 minutes past 5 o'clock just as the sun set gun had fired. The above remarks were written by Lt. Col. Ward on the sketch he did of Napoleon I after death. WLC

Verso:
His life so pregnant? in action that it seems to comprise centuries, did not last more than fifty-two years old. M. de Montholon and Marchand dressed him in the uniform he preferred - that of the Chasseurs of the Guard, and placed up his puissant head the little hat he was accustomed to wear. A single priest and a few friends prayed for some days beside his inanimate body. Thier's History of the Consulate
In obedience to Napoleon's instruction, his body was opened and from the examination, it would appear that cancer in the stomach was the principal cause of death. The liver was slightly diseased, which shows that the climate had some, though not a determining influence upon his general health. Thier's History of the Consulate.