May 20, 2022

Le Dévouement des Citoyennes de Paris (The Dedication of the Citizens of Paris)

Le Dévouement des Citoyennes de Paris (The Dedication of the Citizens of Paris)

1794

Joseph-Benoît Suvée

(French, 1743–1807)

Oil on canvas

Overall: 49.9 x 61.3 cm (19 5/8 x 24 1/8 in.)

Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2022.40

Location

Did you know?

Shortly after submitting this sketch, the artist was imprisoned for not being sufficiently loyal to the republic.

Description

Painted during the French revolution’s treacherous Reign of Terror, in this prize-winning sketch for a national competition, the artist took inspiration from an actual event. In 1789, wives and daughters of several prominent artists donated their jewelry to the service of the young French republic. Suvée recasts the event in classical Roman style, underscoring the connection between the ancient republic and France’s revolutionary ambitions.

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