Bestorming van de Bastille Possibly 1795 - 1799

Curator: This engraving, dating probably from 1795 to 1799, is titled "Bestorming van de Bastille," or "Storming of the Bastille." It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Isidore-Stanislas Helman created it with etching and engraving techniques. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by how ordered it is. For a scene of such purported chaos, the composition feels incredibly structured, almost staged. Curator: Interesting observation! The material conditions of printmaking during this period favored a certain degree of planning. Helman, the printmaker, relied on specific techniques that involved careful layering and controlled marks. It also reflects the narrative approach. History print, with that emphasis on clearly legible narratives meant to reach a broad audience. Editor: You're right; despite the obvious violence, there's a sense of heroism being carefully crafted here. Note the symbolic weight placed on the Bastille itself—a looming, imposing structure. The choice to depict it so rigidly underscores its representation of authority and oppression. Curator: Consider, too, the socio-economic circumstances in France at that time, particularly how the process of creating images served both artistic expression and revolutionary aims. Cheap accessible imagery meant wider propaganda, galvanizing sentiments that might have stayed as gossip amongst communities. The work itself is part of that same movement. Editor: Absolutely. I see now that it's not just a record of an event but also a powerful emblem. Look at how the figures clamber over each other, reaching for the gate as it they pursue Liberty, that archetypal revolutionary spirit embodied within the attack. The imagery isn't subtle; it is actively rallying sentiment, inviting a particular reading. Curator: Exactly! Seeing how prints such as this would then disseminate those sentiments far more widely and cheaply than paintings alone makes it vital to assess art's social contexts, how and why it was made. How it reached viewers. Editor: So, the "Bestorming van de Bastille" speaks volumes about revolution not just as historical event, but as carefully manufactured symbol. The lasting power that symbolism gives this little print really adds a complex, unexpected depth to our appreciation of this historical moment. Curator: And understanding those connections brings a new depth, as well as a social context to the creation of art.