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ICONOCLASM in PARIS, 1789-1795 by Richard Simon CLAY A

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ICONOCLASM in PARIS, 1789-1795 by Richard Simon CLAY A SIGNS OF POWER: ICONOCLASM IN PARIS, 1789-1795 by Richard Simon CLAY A thesis submitted to the University of London in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. University College London. September, 1999. 0 The Power of Signs: Iconoclasm in Paris, 1789-1795 ABSTRACT This thesis is about iconoclasm in Paris, 1789-1795. Previous full-length studies on the subject have condemnedrevolutionary iconoclasm as "vandalism" because,they claim, it showed barbaric disrespect for art's sacred, aestheticand historical values. This thesis argues that such condemnationsare anachronisticbecause they fail to recognisethe variety of ways in which late eighteenth-century Parisians used art, assessed its value and established appropriate ways of treating it. For many eighteenth-century Parisians, religious and political art had a vital role to play in mediating struggles for meaning in the wider world. Many Parisians did not privilege the aestheticand historical values of art, nor did they believe that such values offered necessary and sufficient grounds for automatically respectingart's physical integrity. This thesis explores the various ways in which different interest groups sought to preserve or destroy art for political and/or religious reasons, and the resulting tension between groups who did, or did not, believe that all art ought to be divorced from such struggles. The thesis draws on a wider range of manuscript and printed sourcesthan have been used in previous studies, even the more recent articles that have avoided condemning iconoclasm. In order to explain the scaleof official iconoclasm in Year II, this thesis also covers a longer period than most of the available literature on the subject. The methodology employed in this study focuses on fewer spacesthan is usual in this field of research,establishing connections between specific iconoclastic events and local, as well as national, discourses. Close analysis of iconoclastic actions, and representations of them, are used to argue from the specific to the general, explaining iconoclasm and the development of iconoclastic and preservationist government policies. It is shown that iconoclasm occurred becauseart symbolically mediated contestedpower relations during the revolution. 2 List of Contents Title Page P. 1 Abstract p. 2 Contents p. 3 List of Figures p. 7 Acknowledgements p. 12 List of Abbreviations p. 15 Opening Illustration p. 16 Chapter1. An introductionto this study. its terminologyand methods:"iconoclasm" in 17$2 1.1 Introduction p. 17 1.2 The attack on the Barriere de la Conference p. 17 1.3 The destruction of the busts of Necker and the Duc d'Orleans p. 21 1.4 Terminological problems and methods p. 27 Chanter 2. Iconoclastic actions and discourses. 1789-1790: an iconoclastic revolution? 2.1 Introduction p. 39 3 2.2 The re-significationof spacesin Parisand the treatmentof images p. 41 2.3 The value of images: the first wave of official iconoclasm p. 53 2.4 Was the revolution iconoclastic from the outset? p. 65 2.5 Conclusion p. 69 Chapter3. The use and abuseof religious art in Paris. 1791 3.1 Introduction p. 71 3.2 The Civil Oath of the Clergy p. 72 3.3 The first attack at the Th6atins: the suspensionof religious value p. 78 3.4 The second attack at the Theatins: responsesto iconoclasm p. 91 3.5 Conclusion p. 109 Chapter 4. Official and unofficial iconoclasm. from the ancien regime until the end of 1792 4.1 Introduction p. 112 4.2 The treatmentof statuesof kings in Paris, during the ancien regime p. 114 4.3 The use of the statuesof kings as resourcesfor protest during the French revolution 1789-1792 p. 128 4 4.4 The destruction of the statues of kings in public place in Paris and the implications for all royal images p. 137 4.5 Royalist and Catholic responsesto the iconoclasm of 1792 p. 153 4.6 Conclusion p. 161 5.1 Introduction p. 163 5.2 Power struggles and the treatmentof signs of feudalism and signs of royalty p. 164 5.3 The destruction of statuesof kings at Notre-Dame p. 174 5.4 Iconoclasm and revolutionary signs p. 181 5.5 De-Christianisation and iconoclasm p. 195 5.6 Thermidorian reactionsto the iconoclasm of the Terror p. 217 5.7 Conclusion p. 221 Chapter 6. Conclusion p. 224 Figures p. 227 5 p. 281 p. 298 List of figures fig. 1. Prieur, "Incendie de la Barriere de la Conference, 12 juillet 1789", Musee Carnavalet, inv. D. 7746. fig. 2. Detail of Prieur, "Incendie de la Barriere de la Conference, 12 juillet 1789", Musee Carnavalet, inv. D. 7746. fig. 3. J. F. Janinet, "Evenement du 12 juillet: le matin. Curtius delivre les Portraits de Mgr le Duc d'Orl6ans et de M. Necker qui furent portes en triomphe par toute la ville et le Peuple crioit chapeau bas, pour marquer sa profonde ven6ration", Musee Carnavalet, R. G. 3745, de Vinck n 1507. fig. 4. 'The busts of d'Orleans and Necker carried to the Place Louis XV", Musee Camavalet, inv. D. 7712 fig. 5. "Evdnementdu 12 juillet 1789", Musee de la R6volution Francaise, Vizille, M. R. F. 1984 - 584 fig. 6. "Assasinat commis par le Prince Lambesc aux Thuilleries, le 12 juillet 1789", Musee de la Revolution Frangaise,M. R. F 1984 - 597 fig. 7. N. F. Masquelier, "Figures de la Bastille", 1790, reproduced in Louis Millin, "Antiquitds Nationales, ou recueil de monumens [sic] pour servir ä l'Histoire gdndralede 1'Empire Frangais, tels Tombeaux, Inscriptions, Statues, Vitraux, Fresques, etc,; tires des Abbayes, Monasti res, Chateaux, et autres lieux devenus Domaines Nationaux, Paris, 1790, t. I fig. 8. N. F. Masquelier, "Figures de la Bastille", 1790, reproduced in Louis Millin, "Antiquites Nationales, ou recueil de monumens [sic] pour servir ä I'Histoire g6neralede 1'Empire Francais, tels Tombeaux, Inscriptions, Statues, Vitraux, Fresques, etc,; tires des Abbayes, Monasti res, Chateaux, et autres lieux devenus Domaines Nationaux, Paris, 1790, t. I fig. 9. Prieur, "Benediction of the flags of the National Guard in the church of Notre- Dame, 27 September1789", MuscleCarnavalet, inv. D. 7745 7 fig. 10. "Demolitionde la Bastille", BibliothequeNationale fig. 11. Hoüel, "La demolition de la Bastille. Juillet 1789", Musee Camavalet, inv. D. 600 fig. 12. "La Libert6 triomphe et detruit les abus", M. R. F. 1984- 633 fig. 13. "Nuit du 4 au 5 aoüt 1789 ou le delire patriotique", De Vinck 2770 fig. 14. "Je t'avais dit mon ami qu'ils nous feraient tout rendre", De Vinck 3076 fig. 15. "le mannequin du Pape brül6 au Palais-Royal, le 6 avril 1791", Prieur, 1791. Musee Carnavalet, inv. D. 7732 fig. 16. "Notre-Dame de Liesse A Saint Sulpice", Biblioteque Nationale Est. Re 13, 95A73387 fig. 17. "Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Delivrance A Saint-Etienne-des-Grins". Biblioth8que Nationale Est. Ee (2), 79B86718 fig. 18. "Example au Conspirateur contre 1'Etat", M. R. F 1996-32. fig. 19. "Matinee au Palais-Royal, 3 mai 1791", Camavalet, inv. PC Hist 6 bis, de Vinck 3447 anciennecollection Liesville fig. 20. "Le curd de St..... Accompagnd de deux Diables descend dans 1'Empire des Demons pour demander a Balzebuth peurs Princes des secours pour tacher s'il est possible d'empecher 1'execution de la Constitution Civile Ecclesiastiques", M. R. F. 1990-46-93 fig. 21. "Assembl6edes pretres non assermentisaux Theatins le 2 juin 1791", M. R. F. 1984-102. fig. 22. After Moreau, "La place Louis XV (1763)", Bibliotheque Nationale fig. 23. "Le foire St. Ovid", MuscleCamavalet 8 fig. 24. The equestrianstatue of Henri IV from the Pont-Neuf. BibliotaqueNationale fig. 25. "rous les soirs aussi, un groupe d'hommes mal vetus, se portoit [sic] devant la statue [sic] de Henri IV, et forcoit [sic] les passans[sic] ä la saluer", M. R. F 1985-269 fig. 26. Prieur, "Incendie du Corps du Garde du Pont-Neuf, le 29 Aotlt 1788", Musee Carnavlet, inv. D. 8928 fig. 27. "Louis XVI se montre a l'une des fenetres de la grande salle de I'h6tel-de-ville, la CocardeNationale au chapeau", M. R. F 1984-664 fig. 28. Moreau le Jeune, "Monument ä enger pour le roi", 1790, M. R. F. 1994-44 fig. 29. Prieur, "Proclamation de la Patrie en danger. Les enrölementsdes volontaires au Pont-Neu", Musee Carnavalet, inv. D. 7762 fig. 30. "Arrivee du roi et de la famille royale ä Paris, le 6 octobre 1789", M. R. F. 1990-46-53 fig. 31. "Le cortege du retour traversela place Louis XV", Bibliotaque Nationale fig. 32. Prieur, "Fete de la Liberte en 1'honneur des soldats de Chäteauvieux", M. R. F. 1995-381 fig. 33. After Boze, "Bonnet de la libert6, Presenteau Roi par le peuple Francais, le 20 juin 1792", M. R. F fig. 34. "Place des Victoires. Louis le Grand renvers6pour faire place a la Colonne de la Liberte et de l'Egalite", M. R. F. 1990-46-63 fig. 35. "Place Vendome. Le plus Grand des Despotes, Renverse par la Liberte", M. R. F. 1988-170 fig. 36. "Statue de Louis XIV abbatue, place des Victoires, les 11,12,13 aoQt 1792", Mus6e Carnavalet, inv. D. 7728 9 fig. 37. "Chutede la statuede Louis XIV PlaceVendome", Musee Carnavalet, inv. 3842 D. R. fig. 38. "Chute de la statuede Louis XV Place Louis XV", Musee Carnavalet, inv. 3608 & 3609 D. R. fig. 39. "Chute de la statueLouis XIII Place Royale", Musee Carnavalet, inv. 3823 fig. 40. "Chute de la statuede Henri IV. Pont-Neuf', Musee Carnavalet, inv. 3822 fig. 41. Augustin de St. Aubin, "Destruction de la statue equestrede Louis XV", Musee Borely, inv. 68.209 fig. 42. "Le degel de la nation", M. R. F. 1989-169 fig. 43.
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