The People Overturn the Top Part of the Carriage of M. Bertier, Intendant of Paris (23 July 1789) 1789

Curator: Jean François Janinet created this piece, "The People Overturn the Top Part of the Carriage of M. Bertier, Intendant of Paris (23 July 1789)." It depicts a dramatic moment from the French Revolution. Editor: The chaotic scene really grabs you, doesn't it? The carriage, practically capsized, contrasts sharply with the rigid architecture. It feels...unstable, precarious. Curator: Indeed. Janinet's work captures the very real overturning of power structures. Consider the materiality of the carriage itself, a symbol of wealth and privilege, now at the mercy of the people. Editor: Right, the labor involved in creating that carriage, all that craftsmanship, now being violently undone. And the horses, imagine their terror! Curator: Absolutely. The etching reminds us of the social and political forces at play during the revolution and how those power dynamics affect every member of society, human or animal. Editor: Looking at it through that lens, it underscores the sheer force of collective anger when directed against material symbols of oppression. This piece certainly stays with you. Curator: Yes, it provokes important questions about those symbols and their role in society's narratives.