Portret van Antoine Quentin Fouquier-Tinville

About this artwork

lithografie

Art Historical Context

### Portrait of Antoine Quentin Fouquierinville This intimate lithograph, titled *Portret van Antoine Quentin Fou-Tinville*, captures stern visage of one of the French Revolution's most notorious figures Created anonymously by veuve Delpech (Naudet) between 1818 and 1842, the small-scale print measures just 197 mm high by 146 mm wide, making it a portable piece ideal for personal collections or scholarly study. Produced in the Netherlands or France amid the post-Napoleonic era, it reflects a period of reflection on the Revolution's turbulent legacy during the Bourbon Restoration and early July Monarchy. Fouquier-Tinville served as public prosecutor of the Revolutionary Tribunal, overseeing trials that led to thousands of executions during the Reign of Terror (1793–1794). Guillotined himself in 1795 after the Thermidorian Reaction, his image here—likely based on earlier portraits—evokes the era's radical fervor and moral reckonings. Lithography, the medium's innovative technique invented in 1798, allowed for precise, affordable reproduction of detailed portraits, democratizing access to historical figures and fueling 19th-century interest in revolutionary history. As a modest yet poignant artifact, this print bridges art and memory, inviting visitors to ponder justice, power, and retribution in revolutionary France. Its anonymity underscores the era's caution around controversial subjects, preserving Fouquier-Tinville's legacy for posterity.