Fête pour la Paix Générale donnée à Paris le 18 Brumaire. Pont et Place de la Concorde.
Original title: Fête pour la Paix Générale donnée à Paris le 18 Brumaire. Pont et Place de la Concorde.
kurzbeschreibung
Francesco Piranesi made this sheet in 1801–2, capturing an evening celebration on the banks of the Seine in Paris: the Pont de la Concorde in the foreground, the Louvre behind. It is a line engraving finished with watercolour and gouache, measuring 64 × 82 cm.
Description
Night dominates the view. Crowds throng the bank, some in traditional dress, watching the proceedings. Several small boats rest on the water. Behind the palace dark columns rise, while coloured lanterns climb above the building and into the sky. Their reflection in the water bathes the scene in warm gold that stands out against the gloomy, cloud-covered sky.
Context
The celebration took place on 18 Brumaire (9 November), probably in 1801, marking the Peace of Lunéville. Piranesi, son of the famous Giovanni Battista Piranesi, was in Paris at the time and recorded the festivities. The sheet belongs to a series of views documenting public festivals of the Revolutionary and Consular periods.
Impact
Dark sky and golden reflections give the sheet a festive yet quietly melancholy mood. The dense crowd and rising lanterns convey bustle while also suggesting something of the event's monumentality.
Technique
A line engraving provides the foundation, coloured with watercolour and gouache. The sharp contours of the print are softened by the translucent washes and opaque gouache, creating a painterly effect. The 64 × 82 cm format points to a representative single sheet.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)