To the Defenders of the Country c. 1796

Curator: Jean-Baptiste Joseph Wicar created this print, titled "To the Defenders of the Country." The Harvard Art Museums hold this work which, measuring about 20 by 30 centimeters, captures a moment of patriotic fervor. Editor: It feels so…theatrical! Like a stage tableau. All those outstretched arms—it’s almost comically heroic, a bit over the top. Curator: Indeed. Consider this work's role in shaping public opinion during the French Revolution. The idealized portrayal of soldiers served as propaganda, inspiring nationalistic sentiment. Editor: Propaganda or not, you can't deny the energy! The artist has really captured that fervent zeal, that almost manic commitment to la patrie. But it's also troubling… that level of fervor is always a bit unsettling, don’t you think? Curator: It certainly speaks to the powerful emotions at play during this period, emotions harnessed to fuel revolutionary action and solidify a new political order. Editor: True. I'm left pondering the fine line between patriotism and something far more dangerous. Curator: It’s a potent reminder of how art can be both a reflection and a shaper of historical events.