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The Storming of Bastille

Written by Eleanor Stanley

 

 

 

 

Art is often heavily influenced by the fads, trends, and events that occur over a period of time. Specifically, throughout history, artists have used various kinds of medium to portray important events that occur within their lifetime. During the French Revolution, numerous artists recreated scenes of their time, reflecting the social conditions of the period. French artist Jean-Pierre Houël was among those artists and painted a watercolor of one of the most historic events of the French Revolution. His painting, The storming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789, created in 1789, clearly depicts the time of the French Revolution through illustration of the storming of the Bastille. 

 

In the painting, Revolutionaries depicted as small men wearing uniforms storm and leave the prison in demolition, launching cannonballs into the building as tuffs of dark smoke rise into the clear blue sky. To the right, a fire can be seen raging, emitting the dark puffs of smoke. The only man among the small figures who is not wearing a uniform is being arrested, assumed to be Bernard René Jourdan. The prominent colors are a dull combination of brown, black, and grey, which aid in the creation of the violent mood, due to the absence of bright, vibrant colors. The hints of red on the building and in the fire suggest bloodshed, and the black color of the smoke symbolizes destruction or death. The people in the painting are caught mid-action, and the rubble and smoke surrounding them definitely emit a chaotic mood. Houël created this painting in 1789, the same year the storming of the Bastille occurred. This painting clearly depicts the rebellion of the French Revolution, especially because this rebellion begins to surface with the storming of the Bastille. The painting clearly conveys the anger of the French revolutionaries around that time, and their frustration towards the French monarch.

 

 

 

Eleanor Stanley is a 15-year-old writer from a small town in Ontario, Canada. She identifies as an art critic (though her friends would just call her outspoken) and loves to write, paint, and draw.