Following an account of the historical and social contexts of Revolutionary
printmaking, the author analyses over 50 works, incorporating scenes such as
street singers and fairground performers, unsanctioned Revolutionary events,
and the representation of Revolutionary characters in hell. Through analysing
these depictions as an ensemble, focusing on style, vocabulary, and metaphor,
Claire Trévien shows how prints were a potent vehicle for capturing and
communicating partisan messages across the political spectrum. In spite of the
intervening centuries, these prints still retain the power to evoke the
Revolution like no other source material.