Lot Essay
The event depicted is the political meeting held in an emergency at the Tennis Court at Versailles by the representative of the Etats- Généraux which signalled the beginning of the French Revolution. Facing a severe financial and political crisis, King Louis XVI called Les Etats-Généraux for a meeting of all representatives of various orders: clergy, nobility and commoners called Tiers-Etat. The antiquated structure of that assembly soon led to tensions between the various orders. The King suspended the meeting. In response, the clergy and commoners of the Tiers-Etat decided to meet in the nearby Tennis Court. 630 representatives met and swore that they would not leave until a constitution was written. The leader of the new house, Bailly, read the oath. A year later, David was commissioned to paint a large canvas to commemorate the event, but never had the time to complete the work. However, a large modello in Versailles was later engraved by Vivant-Denon and served as the basis for the present composition. Further information on the commission is in the note of the following lot.