About this sheet
Public Execution Scene in Tonkin – Antique Engraving, 1787
Striking 18th-century copperplate engraving depicting a large-scale public execution in the Kingdom of Tonkin (present-day northern Vietnam) on 12 January 1737. The dramatic scene unfolds in a wide courtyard framed by hundreds of onlookers and soldiers, arranged in precise formation.
At the center, four missionaries are shown bound and kneeling, moments before decapitation by executioners wielding curved swords. The background features a richly decorated pavilion housing three enthroned figures, likely representing the king and his high officials, overseeing the proceedings.
This historically significant engraving documents the execution of missionaries, including the Jesuit Father Pierre Pigneaux de Béhaine’s contemporaries, during a period of intense religious and political tension in Southeast Asia. The composition offers remarkable detail: the regimented ranks of soldiers with polearms, the disciplined placement of court officials, and the presence of European observers in the foreground, capturing both the ceremonial and brutal aspects of the event.
Full French caption of the bottom text:
Quatre Missionnaires Jesuites savoir le P. Barthelemy, le P. Emmanuel de Alon, & le P. Jean Gaspard Cratz, de la Cie de J. Vincent de Santa-quineta, la tête tranchée en haine de la foy dans le Royaume de Tonquin le 21 Janvier de l’Année 1737.
English translation:
Four Jesuit missionaries, namely Father Barthelemy, Father Emmanuel de Alon, and Father Jean Gaspard Cratz, of the Society of Jesus, and Vincent de Santa-quineta, beheaded out of hatred for the faith in the Kingdom of Tonkin on January 21 of the year 1737.
Produced in 1787, the work exemplifies the high skill of late 18th-century European engravers in depicting distant lands and political events. Intended for a European audience, such engravings served both as records of foreign customs and as political-religious commentary, making them valuable sources for historians of colonial encounters, missionary activity, and Vietnamese history.
Condition: Strong impression with fine detail. Vertical and horizontal folds as issued. Light toning at fold intersections and minor handling creases. Paper remains strong with one tear (repaired).
Framing tips: Best displayed in a dark wooden or black frame with a light cream or antique white mount to enhance the engraving’s tonal depth. A wide mount will help center attention on the dramatic composition.
