Miniature Portraits in the Age of Revolutions
by Luca Einaudi
citizens in uniform
For men, especially young men, flashy uniforms have always been one of the favourite attires to be portrayed in. The revolutionary period is no exception, but there was also a new pride for ordinary citizens rising in the ranks, once the privilege of becoming an officer had been stripped from the aristocracy and was open to all. Careers in the army could be extremely rapid, given that much of the nobility had started emigrating in 1789, and by 1794 officers belonging to the nobility were a small minority. The appeal of a role in the defence of liberty included enrolling in the Garde nationale in 1789, and in the regular army once war started with Austria and Prussia in April 1792. We have here as examples the image of an uptight officer of the National Guard in 1789, in a blue and white uniform with a red collar, then a non-commissioned officer (sous-officier) of a company of armuriers of the artillery during the Revolution, entirely dressed in blue with a white neckcloth tied in a bow, with a gentle, unassuming smile, and finally a Captain of the French Navy during the Directoire (blue coat and red gilet).
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