I didn't plan it that way, but this week's posts on Jacques-Louis David have been fittingly timed for the 14th of July. Allons enfants de la Patrie, le jour de gloire est arrivé! A little known fact, in honor of the day: despite its popular name, Bastille Day, or more properly the Fête Nationale, does not commemorate the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. When the Third Republic created the holiday in 1880, the Bastille was considered too violent and divisive a memory to serve as the subject of a national event. So instead, the fête de la Fédération, which occured on the same date in 1790, was chosen as the official reason for the celebration. At that fête, organized like various others by David, the king pledged to uphold the new constitution and Talleyrand, then still a Bishop, performed a mass. I never cease to be amused by that last fact. Lafayette presided along with Louis XVI, and the successful event was long remembered as a moment of national unity and harmony. Of course, it's a little artificial, in that the fête was timed to mark the previous year's deeds, but the distinction was made nonetheless.
I learned the above about a decade ago from the late François Furet, who took pleasure in telling the tale to his classes. When I told him I was disappointed to learn the truth, he asked why. I replied with something along the lines that you couldn't celebrate the French Revolution without having a little blood involved - it just wasn't right. He laughed.
And in case there's any confusion out there in Blogland, the image is from a painting by Gericault, not David.
I have very much enjoyed the recent posts, JL. Thank you.
Posted by: Franklin | July 14, 2005 at 10:51 AM
I hate to say it, but it's Delacroix, not Gericault. Libery Leading the People, from 1830, year of one of the later Revolutions. But yeah, it's certainly not David. Thanks for the good word, too.
Posted by: JL | July 14, 2005 at 11:02 AM
My bad. I googled "gericault leading" and that image came up in Google Images. Should have clicked the link. Those are the Delacroix proportions, no doubt about it.
Posted by: Franklin | July 14, 2005 at 11:21 AM
Saw a Larry Rivers version in the Marlborough Gallery summer show. Viva la' France!
http://www.marlboroughgallery.com/Marlborough_Web_Pages/Grfx_index.html
Posted by: mark | July 14, 2005 at 03:26 PM
Great clarification--I've added it to my blog!
Posted by: jstheater | July 20, 2005 at 07:20 PM