History
Describe the picture in your own words. What are the images that the artist has used to communicate the following ideas: greed, equality, justice, takeover by the state of the assets of the church?
Answer
Description of the Picture
The picture shows state officials confiscating church property during the French Revolution. A clergyman, identifiable by his red robe and clerical attire, appears unhappy. The state officials are aggressively seizing the property of church which is shown by the chest getting filled with treasures seized from the clergymen.
Images and Ideas
- Greed — The fat, overweight clergyman symbolize greed.
- Equality — The equally slim size of the two men on the right leaving the place symbolise equality.
- Justice — The idea of justice is conveyed by showing that everyone is subjected to the same mechanical device (of law), which serves to reduce their excess wealth or property size.
- State Takeover — The state officials in the picture and the chest getting filled with church treasures symbolize the takeover by the state of the assets of the church.
Related Questions
Imagine yourself to be one of the women in Fig. 13. Formulate a response to the arguments put forward by Chaumette (Source G).
Source G
In 1793, the Jacobin politician Chaumette sought to justify the closure of women’s clubs on the following grounds:
‘Has Nature entrusted domestic duties to men? Has she given us breasts to nurture babies?
No.
She said to Man:
Be a man. Hunting, agriculture, political duties … that is your kingdom.
She said to Woman:
Be a woman … the things of the household, the sweet duties of motherhood – those are your tasks.
Shameless are those women, who wish to become men. Have not duties been fairly distributed?’
Record your impressions of this print (Fig. 14). Describe the objects lying on the ground. What do they symbolise? What attitude does the picture express towards non-European slaves?
Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France.
Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? Which groups were forced to relinquish power? Which sections of society would have been disappointed with the outcome of the revolution?