The Storming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789

By the end of the eighteenth century, medals were widely used as effective vehicles of political propaganda. Usually struck, they were issued in high numbers. The selection on display in The Critique of Reason highlights key moments and figures of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire. One of the most accomplished medalists of the time was Bertrand Andrieu. His first great success was the highly detailed Storming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789, seen here, which he paired the following year with the Return of Louis XIV to Paris. Production of Revolutionary-themed medals was in itself a statement of freedom as, until then, only the Royal Mint had issued medals. During Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign, medallic production considerably increased. The portraits of Napoleon by Andrieu were among the most widely circulated images of the emperor.