Portret van Jean-Paul Marat

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228a

Art Historical Context

### Portrait of Jean-Paul MaratThis striking lithograph, titled *Portret van Jean-Paulat*, captures the intense likeness of Jean-Paul Marat, the fiery radical journalist and revolutionary leader during the French Revolution.inated in his bath in 1793 by Charlotte Corday, Marat an enduring symbol of Jacobin fervor and political extremism. Produced anonymously by the widow Delpech (Naudet) between 1818 and 1842, this portrait a later Romantic fascination with revolutionary heroes, long after the tumult of 1789 had faded into legend. Lithography, the medium here (258 × 165 mm), revolutionized printmaking in the early 19th century. Invented around 1798, it allowed artists to draw directly on stone with greasy crayon, producing nuanced tones and fine details through chemical transfer—ideal for affordable portraits of historical figures. Veuve Delpech's workshop in Paris was renowned for such reproductions, making icons like Marat accessible to a wide audience amid post-Napoleonic nostalgia. On the verso, a collector's mark (Lugt 2228a) stamps its provenance, hinting at its prized status in esteemed European collections. This modest yet evocative print invites us to ponder Marat's polarizing legacy: martyr or monster? A window into how lithography democratized history.