In the months that followed the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the new authorities worked to spread the Declaration’s revolutionary ideas among the population. Perhaps the most iconic representation of the Declaration to appear in the months following its promulgation was a painting created by Jean-Jacques Le Barbier (1738–1826). Like many other artists who have sought to publicize and assert the legitimacy of radically new ideas, he drew heavily on older, established symbols and artistic conventions to convey his message. Thus, Le Barbier reproduced the text of the Declaration on tablets similar to those used in religious paintings to represent the Ten Commandments brought down by Moses from Mount Sinai. The two easily identifiable symbolic female figures — the winged allegorical figure representing Fame and the other personifying France — conveyed the virtue of and the audience for the Declaration’s articles. Throughout the painting, Le Barbier used common classical symbols to provide visual cues to help his audience interpret its message, like the snake biting its tail representing eternity, the broken chains in the hands of France representing victory over oppression, and the laurel wreath of glory draped over the tablets. One symbol in particular, the red bonnet or “Phrygian,” would have resonated with Le Barbier’s audience. It was of ancient Greek origin but had become a popular symbol of the new French nation. Engravings of Le Barbier’s painting were printed in large numbers and circulated across the kingdom, spreading the Declaration’s ideas and Le Barbier’s visual tribute to them to a broad audience.

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Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (Painting)