Marie Antoinette gevangen in de Tour du Temple 1821 - 1869

Charles Augustin Wauters created this drawing of Marie Antoinette in the Tour du Temple, sometime in the mid-19th century. The piece offers a somber reflection on the fallen Queen of France. The historical context is important here. Wauters, working decades after the French Revolution, was part of a society still grappling with the upheaval and violence of that era. Marie Antoinette, once a symbol of aristocratic excess, was executed in 1793. Here, she's depicted not as a queen, but as a prisoner. We see her in quiet despair, stripped of her royal status. Her identity as a woman in a patriarchal society further complicates the narrative, as her gender was often used against her, fueling the propaganda that led to her demise. The guard standing by the door suggests not only her physical confinement, but also the constant surveillance and judgment she faced. This image invites us to reflect on the intersection of power, gender, and historical memory.