3 Glorious Paintings To Understand Revolutionary France
July the 27th, 28th and 29th. These are the iconic days of the July Revolution, in France, that paved the way for the Republic as we know it today. Also known as the Second French Revolution, the “Three Glorious Days” were preceded by a series of events that led to the fall of Bastille, in 1830, and to the end of absolute monarchy.
How the French got to this point is subject to several areas of study, including Art History. So here are three paintings and some of their backstories, that shortly describe this period and the archetypes of the Revolution.
Marie Antoinette with a Rose
Marie Antoinette, or the “Queen of Debt”, as stated by the critics, was just a scapegoat, and not the cause of the French Revolution, as many believed.
The Austrian queen attracted many haters, including the media, since she used to lead a lavish lifestyle. Aside from acquiring countless pairs of shoes and adhering to an already established routine of pomps, Marie Antoinette made no effort in terms of cutting costs, while the people were famished.
They had no bread to eat, once plantations got destroyed by a harsh Spring. Still, she made use of flour to maintain her wigs up. However, as we all should know, King Louis XVI and his lack of experience were the ones to be accounted for dragging France to a huge economic crisis.
It is not a lie, though, that Marie Antoinette contributed to fashion when she made her little white dress’ first appearance. The outfit became a symbol of simplicity and was even used by the revolutionary women who claimed for her blood.
As can be seen in both paintings above, she holds her signature flower: a pink cabbage. On the left, she wears the infamous white dress, which did not represent the royalty accordingly and, for this reason, the picture was removed from the Salon. A month later, artist Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun again portrayed Marie Antoinette, this time wearing a more formal and elegant lace-trimmed dress.
Throughout the period spent, both in Versailles and Paris, her clothing style and expenditure were in the spotlight. It is said, though, that her vestments were getting darker as she was aging. For the guillotine day, she wanted to wear a black and sophisticated dress, but was obliged to wear a white, simpler one.
The human side of the polemic queen, who did not say “let them eat cake”, is subtly depicted by Sofia Coppola in her film “Marie Antoinette (2006)”, which is considered a cultural reset by some, as it retells the story of her reign until the fall of Versailles.
The Death of Marat
It is unclear the motives behind his need for bloody revenge. A physician out of his practice, Jean-Paul Marat even became homeless during his fiery pursuit of revolution.
When the first revolutionary signs started to appear on the Parisian streets, Marat, also a journalist, saw an opportunity to rise above his decaying condition.
By founding the journal L’Ami du Peuple, in 1789, he was able to manifest his rage against those in power and call the population for action. This way, Marat’s criticism contributed to the turn of the Revolution in 1792.
Suffering from a chronic disease that caused itchy rashes and headaches, the radical demagogue was very often immersed in a bathtub, where he did not just find relief, but had most of his writings and readings done.
As a deputy of Paris and representative of France’s revolutionary legislature, Marat was opposed to the moderate republicans of the Girondists. Because of that, a young royalist sympathizer announced him as an enemy of the country.
Her name was Charlotte Corday, who wrote Marat a letter asking to meet him, by promising to betray her faction. However, she had already plotted his murder by the time she took the knife and stabbed him in his chest, the day before Bastille Day, in 1793. He died immediately and she was guillotined afterward.
As revolutionary as his friend was, the painter Jacques-Louis David put on canvas what came to be the symbol of the French Revolution: “The Death of Marat”, signed and dated “L’An Deux”.
Marat was considered a martyr by his adherents. His opponents, on the other hand, were pleased by his death.
Liberty Leading the People
In 1830 France was once again on the brink of a revolution, when Parisians felt jeopardized by a white flag, flown during the monarchy of Charles X.
To the streets the people went, with the colors of the Revolution: blue, white and red. A man, whose job was to guard over the paintings in the Louvre, also sympathized with the popular uprising. His name was Eugène Delacroix, who carefully observed the insurrections with the eyes of a passionate revolutionary. In a letter to his brother, Delacroix explained the origins of his work:
“I have undertaken a modern subject, a barricade, and if I have not fought for the country, at least I will paint for her.”
Not only did he paint, but Delacroix’s sense of duty was also very strong, in a way that he is self-portrayed carrying a rifle, taking place at one of the most sincere and daring works of art.
His masterpiece, “Liberty Leading the People”, became known as a universal hymn to freedom and gave Romanticism a new perspective.
