Jean-Baptiste Lallemand, c. 1789 – Carnavalet Museum, Paris

Oil on canvas

This dramatic painting shows the attack on the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789, the day the French Revolution truly began. Lallemand wasn’t just recording history. He was helping to shape how it would be remembered. His image shows smoke, chaos, and determination, highlighting the people’s anger and courage. The Bastille had come to symbolize royal power and injustice, and its fall was seen as a victory for freedom. Lallemand, like many artists of the time, used his work to support revolutionary ideas and stir public opinion.

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