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Broadus Bailey French Revolution print collection, C0072, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.
Donated by Broadus Bailey in January 2010.
Processed by Stacey Kniatt in 2010. EAD markup completed by Stacey Kniatt in March 2010.
The French Revolution began in June 1789 when the Estates-General signed the Tennis Court Oath, pledging to write a constitution. The king worried about their goals and safety, so he sent in the military to keep the peace. On July 11, 1789, King Louis XVI fired his finance minister, Jacques Necker, a favorite of the people. The people thought this meant a coup against the Assembly and began an open rebellion on July 12. On July 14, a Parisian mob stormed the Bastille fortress, a symbol of monarchical tyranny; they killed the governor, Launay, after the cease-fire and paraded his head around on a pike. The turmoil continued until the king went to Paris on July 17 to show his support.
While the National Assembly worked on a new constitution, the economic conditions in France, especially Paris, worsened. Women gathered in the market on October 5 and marched to city hall to have their demands heard. Not happy with the city officials' responses, the women marched to Versailles to see the king. To help calm the women, Lafayette convinced the king to move to Paris with his family. Over the course of the next two years, the National Assembly worked on a constitution. During this time, different factions struggled for power. Just before the constitution was finished in the summer of 1791, the king and his family tried to flee France. They were discovered in Varennes and returned to Paris, where he was forced to agree to a constitutional monarchy.
In another year, another faction would rise to power, abolish the monarchy, and declare a Republic. The new Republic declared a war on Austria and counter-revolutionaries led a resistance movement to the new government. Louis XVI and his family was arrested and Louis and Marie-Antoinette were executed, along with about 40,000 people during the Reign of Terror. The Thermidorian Reaction led to the arrest of Robespierre and an end to the terror. A new constitution was accepted and established the directory. This government saw the end of the revolution and the rise of Napoleon.
Jean-Louis Prieur, called the Young, was born in Paris in 1759 to a sculptor, designer, and engraver. An artist himself, Prieur the Young made more than sixty drawings of episodes of the Revolution, beginning with the unrest before the taking of the Bastille. He was arrested in Year III of the revolution and guillotined in 1795.
Pierre-Gabriel Berthault was born in 1737 and became an engraver. His greatest work was his cooperation with the "Tableaux Historiques". His name appears on over one hundred prints. He was called away to run a printing workshop for the Republic where he oversaw the formidable publication of "Description de l'Égypte". He died in 1831 in Paris.
Print engravings of the French Revolution by Pierre-Gabriel Berthault (1737-1831). Berthault created the engravings from drawings by Jean-Louis Prieur (1759-1795). These images begin with the Estates General meeting before the Revolution officially begins and continues through until just after King Louis XVI is executed. Many of the prints illustrate pillaging, massacres, fighting, and important events in the Revolution, such as the taking of the Bastille, Louis moving his family to the Tuileries Palace, Louis XVI's flight to Varennes, and the execution of the King. Many of the key figures of the Revolution to this time can be found in several of the images, including Jacques Necker, King Louis XVI, Lafayette, Mirabeau, Marquis de Favras, and the Marquis de Launey. Some of the 82 prints appear to have been created by an artist other than Berthault, or perhaps appeared in a publication other than "Tableaux Historiques". The images measure approximately 18x24cm to 18x26cm.
Organized according to numbers found on the images.
Engravings, mostly copperplate, from "Collection complete des tableaux historiques de la revolution francaise". These were engraved by Pierre-Gabriel Berthault (1737-1831) after drawings by Jean-Louis Prieur (1759-1795).
The people deliver the French guards to the Abby St. Germain.
Motion made at the Palais Royal, by Camille Desmoulins.
The people working to close the Opera.
The French guards saving Mr. Du Chatelet, their colonel, from popular turmoil.
The busts of Madame Orléans and Necker carried to the Place Louis XV.
Burning of the guardhouse on the Pont Neuf.
Mr. Lambesc entering the Tuileries with a detachment of the Royal German army.
Action between Royal German guards and a detachment of French guards, across from the depot.
**This one looks different from the rest and has a paragraph explanation to go with it; different artist too** Gunfire at Fauxbourg Antoine.
Troops of the Champ de Mars leaving for the Place Louis XV.
Barrier of the conference on fire.
Paris guarded by the people.
Looting of the maison St. Lazare.
Looting of weapons in storage.
Taking weapons from the Invalides.
Death of Mr. de Flesselles, mayor of Paris.
Taking the Bastille.
Arrest of Mr. De Launay, governor of the Bastille.
Alert the night.
Parisian cannons taken to Montmartre.
The King arrives at the Hotel-de-ville.
Torture of Foulon at the Place de Grève.
Funeral service of the citizens killed in the siege of the Bastille, Speech delivered by the Abby Fauchet.
Gunpowder ship stopped at the Port of St. Paul.
Cannons brought from Chantilly to Paris.
Besenval taken in the old castle-fortress, at Brie-Comte-Robert.
Offerings made to the National Assembly by women artists.
Blessing the flag of the Parisian national guard at Notre Dame.
Orgy of bodyguards in the opera hall of Versailles.
Women of the market leave to go look for the King at Versailles.
The King promises to come to Paris with his family, Salut of Arms before the Versailles castle.
The King arrives in Paris with his family, escorted by more than thirty thousand souls.
Mr. la Fayette has two hundred soldiers disarmed at the Champs-Elysées.
The commune of Paris bestows a sword of honor and civic crown to Englishman C.J.W. Nesham.
The brothers Agasse going to torture, their bodies returned to their family.
Pillage of the arsenal of Lyon.
Favras, does the honorable thing in front of the church Notre Dame, in Paris.
Massacre of patriots of Montauban.
Work on the Champ de Mars, for the festival of the Federation.
Fédération générale made in Paris.
Celebration carried out in memory of the Fédération générale: Joust on the water.
Festivities and illuminations at the Champs Elysées
Nancy affaire. Death of Désille.
Funeral in honor of the citizen soldiers killed at Nancy.
Port of Brest, insurrection of the vessels Leopard and America.
The mayor of Paris, going to the palace, to put seals on the papers of Parliament.
Pillage of the Hotel de Castries, F.B.G. St. Germain in Paris.
Massacre at La Chapelle by the hunters barriers.
Vincennes affair.
Dagger affair inside the Tuileries castle.
Mirabeau's funeral.
Effigy of the Pope burned at the Palais Royal.
Coming in by the open gate.
The arrest of Louis Capet at Varennes.
Return from Varennes. Arrival of Louis Capet in Paris.
Triumph of Voltaire.
Publication of martial law on the Champ de Mars.
Proclamation of the Constitution, marketplace of the innocent.
Death of a squire in the church of the Cordelliers in Avignon.
First festival of liberty at the Swiss château-vieux.
Death of General Dillon in the city of Lille.
Funeral procession in honor of Simoneau, mayor of Éstampes.
The people entering the Tuileries castle.
Commemoration of the taking of the Bastille.
Taking the Jalès camp by the patriots.
Proclamation of the country in danger.
Marseillais dinner on the Champs-Elysées.
Siege and taking of the Tuileries castle.
Statue of Louis XIV pulled down, Place des Victoires.
Transfer of Louis Capet and his family to temple.
Emigration of La Fayette from camp outside of Sedan.
Taking of Verdun, death of Beaurepaire.
Massacres of September 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, 1792.
Taking of the town of Spire.
Bombing of the town of Lille.
Victory of Jemmapes.
Assassination of Basseville, in Rome.
Assassination of le Pelletier, restaurant Maison de Février.
Torture of Louis XVI, Place de la Révolution.
Battle of Neerwinden.
The days of May 31, June 1 and 2, 1793.