Marie Antoinette - 1793
This mask if from Madame Tussaud. There is no evidence that Madame Tussaud was present at her execution or that his is indeed the face of Marie Antoinette. Please let me know if you have further information on this mask.
See:
http://www.blastmilk.com/decollete/guillotine-the-french-kiss/marie-antoinette-crown-without.php
March 27th, 2009 at 12:44 am
The death mask is real. After her execution, the body of Marie Antoinette was taken to a cemetery to be thrown into an unmarked grave along with other victims of the guillotine. While the grave-diggers were taking a break for lunch, Madam Tussaud managed to make this impression in wax from the Queen’s head.
March 27th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Thanks Adrian! Can you send me to a source (on-line or otherwise) that can document this claim. Would like to post the history here.
January 25th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Madamme Tussaud began her karriere to do masks from dead persons.
some pictures about them you can saw in the internet.
Than she makes waxshows. there she make figgures from wax. After she died her figgures comes in a museeum in england and thand in lots oof other countrys. The museeums called Madame Tussaud’s
…
February 13th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
My understanding was that the future Madame Tussaud made death masks of both Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI from the actual severed heads. In the case of the queen, she was paid with a silk handkerchief. You might find more information if you consult a biography of Mme Tussaud.
December 19th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Hi. I’m not sure if you’ve been able to get a source for the Madame Tusssaud death mask of Marie Antoinette yet…but if you haven’t,
Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser has that information on page 441. She has a detailed resource list at the back of the book, with footnootes as well.