The Head of Jean Féraud (1759–1795), a Deputy at the Convention, Carried on a Pike, May 21, 1795 1790 - 1800

Dominique Vivant Denon created this pen and brown ink drawing titled, *The Head of Jean Féraud (1759–1795), a Deputy at the Convention, Carried on a Pike, May 21, 1795*, as a chilling record of a moment during the French Revolution. Denon's sketch captures the raw violence of the era, showing a disembodied head impaled on a pike. Jean Féraud was a deputy of the National Convention, and his death took place during a period of intense political upheaval. This image forces us to confront the brutality of revolutionary justice, whilst prompting us to reflect on whose voices were silenced during this period. Moreover, there is an underlying tension in the image as Denon, the artist, later became the director of the Louvre under Napoleon Bonaparte, and was therefore part of the establishment. One could say that this drawing makes visible the complex relationship between power, violence, and representation during this pivotal moment in European history.