By Etienne-Henri Dumaige
Located in Shippensburg, PA
ETIENNE-HENRI DUMAIGE
French, 1830-1888
"Camille Desmoulins at the Palais Royal" (1882)
Sand-cast patinated bronze signed in base "H. DUMAIGE" conceived in 1882, executed circa 1890
stock ref. C104802
38 1/8" H x 11 7/16" D x 11 5/16" W
Essay
Exhibited in plaster at the Salon of 1882 (no. 4331), Dumaige's statue of Camille Desmoulins has become well-regarded as one of his most powerful compositions. The original was given by Dumaige to the Musée de Rouen. It captures Desmoulins delivering his powerful and poignant call to arms before the Bastille storming, the drama of the scene almost operatic as he knocks the chair over behind him, grasping the loose pages of his speech in his closed fist while he loses himself in the rhetoric.
Camille Desmoulins was a French journalist, lawyer, and revolutionary, recognized for his pivotal role in the French Revolution. Born in Guise, France, he studied law at the Collège Louis-le-Grand in Paris, where he befriended future revolutionary leaders, including Maximilien Robespierre. Desmoulins gained prominence on July 12, 1789, when his impassioned speech at the Palais-Royal incited the storming of the Bastille two days later, marking a critical moment in the Revolution.
As a journalist, Desmoulins founded and edited Les Révolutions de France et de Brabant, a radical publication that criticized the monarchy and aristocracy. His writing was instrumental in shaping revolutionary sentiment, blending incisive political critique with populist rhetoric. Despite his early radicalism, Desmoulins later advocated for moderation during the Reign of Terror, aligning himself with the Dantonist faction. This shift ultimately led to his downfall.
Arrested alongside Georges Danton...
Category
19th Century French Romantic Antique Etienne Henri Dumaige Furniture