Lot Essay
A rare portrait survey of over 100 of the Paris Communards: the men and women associated with the Commune of Paris (March 18 - May 28, 1871), an uprising of Republican Parisians against the newly elected National Assembly which had a Royalist majority and was deemed to have negotiated a dishonourable peace with Germany to end the Franco-German war. Each of the sitters is identified, including the artist, Gustave Courbet, who was then president of the artists' federation, and who was sentenced for six months in prison for his part in the events. On May 21, government troops were able to penetrate an undefended section of Paris and during the following week la semaine sanglante, a battle ensued in which the Communards attempted to defend themselves by barricading the streets and setting fire to public buildings including the Tuileries Palace and the Hotel de Ville. Some 20,000 were killed along with around 750 government troops. A further 38,000 were arrested and more than 7,000 deported.
The majority of the cards in this album were acquired together in one group and have full details of sitters, together with details of their fates, in French on the mounts.
A list of sitters is available on request.
The majority of the cards in this album were acquired together in one group and have full details of sitters, together with details of their fates, in French on the mounts.
A list of sitters is available on request.