M. de Lafayette Arrests a Man for the Unlawful Hanging of a Thief (24 May 1790) 1789

Editor: Here we have Jean François Janinet's "M. de Lafayette Arrests a Man for the Unlawful Hanging of a Thief" from 1790. It's a small print, but so full of tension! What does this image tell us about the French Revolution? Curator: This print highlights the chaos and contradictions of the early Revolution. Notice the crowd's vigilante justice, contrasted by Lafayette, a figure of order, intervening. Janinet shows us a society grappling with new ideals, but still prone to violence and disorder. Editor: So, it's about the struggle to maintain order amid revolutionary fervor? Curator: Precisely! Consider the role of prints like this. They were mass-produced, shaping public opinion and disseminating narratives about key events and figures like Lafayette. Janinet's work invites us to examine how the Revolution was both experienced and represented. Editor: I never thought about prints being propaganda. Thanks, I've definitely learned a lot about the politics of imagery here!