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Secondary sourcePaintingc. 1832

Toussaint-Louverture (lithograph)

Nicolas-Eustache Maurin · c. 1832

A widely reproduced Romantic-era lithograph of Toussaint Louverture in general's uniform, made around 1832.

This popular posthumous lithograph shaped how the 19th century pictured Toussaint Louverture.

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Lithograph print on cream paper showing a profile bust portrait facing left of Toussaint Louverture in an embroidered military uniform and a plumed bicorne hat. A caption reads Toussaint Louverture in script, with a signature below and a museum scale bar at right.
Nicolas-Eustache Maurin, Toussaint-Louverture, lithograph, c. 1832. Bibliothèque nationale de France; New York Public Library.

About this source

What it is

This lithograph portrait of Toussaint Louverture was made by Nicolas-Eustache Maurin around 1832, after his death, and is held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the New York Public Library. It shows him in profile, facing left, wearing an embroidered military uniform and a plumed bicorne hat, with his name captioned beneath.

Why it matters

Made during the Romantic era, this print became one of the most widely reproduced images of Toussaint Louverture, shaping how the 19th century imagined his appearance. Because no confirmed portrait from his own lifetime survives in these facts, images like this one, created decades later, became the standard visual memory of him.

Look closer

  • Since this was made years after Toussaint's death, what choices might the artist have made about his appearance?
  • Why might a dramatic, dignified pose like this have appealed to audiences in the 1830s?
  • How does this image compare with other later portraits of him you might find?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Toussaint Louverture on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Book cover in green, pink, red, blue, black and orange marbled paper with a black spine on the left. A white label at top left shows handwritten call numbers 'Lk 554' and 'g°'. Text at bottom reads 'Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France'.Document

Primary source

Constitution républicaine des colonies française de Saint-Domaingue

Toussaint Louverture · 1801

Title page of a book, a scan of a yellowed printed page reading 'Mémoires du Général Toussaint-L'Ouverture, écrits par lui-même', with a publisher's ornament and 'Paris, Pagnerre, Libraire-Éditeur, 1853' at the bottom. The book is attributed to Saint-Remy, not handwritten manuscript.Book

Primary source

Mémoires du Général Toussaint-L'Ouverture écrits par lui-même

Toussaint Louverture · 1853 (text written 1802)

Painted portrait of a man in a dark-blue and red military uniform with gold epaulettes, a white sash with gold stars, and white trousers. He holds a folded paper in his right hand and stands before a stormy blue sky and dark mountains, with a sword hilt visible at his left side.Painting

Secondary source

Général Toussaint Louverture

19th century

Sepia-toned engraving of a standing man in a black top hat with a tall plume, a dark military-style coat with chevron-patterned sleeves, and a sash at the waist. He holds a folded paper in one hand and a curved sabre in the other. Behind him are a fortified hillside, a small building on top, palm trees, and a second figure in uniform with a plumed hat.Painting

Secondary source

19th century engraving of L'Ouverture

J. Barlow, after a sketch by Marcus Rainsford · 19th century

Sepia engraving of a scene in a tropical landscape: a tall officer in a plumed hat and uniform stands center, receiving a letter from a man in a long coat at right, while a woman in a long dress, children, and other figures gather around, with palm fronds and trees behind.Painting

Secondary source

Toussaint Louverture reçoit une lettre du Premier Consul

Charles Monnet · 1802

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