This thesis analyzes paintings and prints of the period to better understand the concept of the patriot soldier or citizen in arms which emerged at the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775 and then again at the start of the French Revolution. The patriot soldier is an individual who is seen as putting aside his civilian occupation spontaneously in order to fight for what he sees as a national cause. While in America contemporary Revolutionary works are little known and not numerous, in France there are thousands of them, spanning genres from history paintings and portraits such as those of Lallemand and The*venin to periodical illustrations such as those of Prieur and Janinet. In America, the patriot soldier was the hero of words and images relating to the battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill in 1775. But soon thereafter, the Continental Army was formed and subsequent images of even these early battles, such as those of Trumbull, glorified the role of officers rather than that of patriot soldiers. In France, the taking of the Bastille at the outset of the Revolution generated both words and many images praising and highlighting the role of civilians who had taken up arms against the Government. In contrast with America, a national Revolutionary army did not come together in France until several years later, in 1793-4. However, during the intervening period, a number of events such as the march on Versailles led artists as well as writers to express severe misgivings about the consequences of allowing or depending upon martial activity by citizens in arms. In both France and America, the citizen soldier was a transitional figure who was put aside once the revolution achieved a stable and unified political and military structure.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:722222 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Kahr, Olivia Zoe |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1446319/ |
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