Massacre of a Bodyguard at the Door of the Queen's Apartment (6 October 1789) 1789

Curator: Janinet's etching captures the "Massacre of a Bodyguard at the Door of the Queen's Apartment," that dreadful day in 1789. The fury feels immediate, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. You can almost smell the sweat and desperation. Look at the economy of line used to depict such brutal action; it's all about the stark contrast between the clean, architectural lines of power and the chaotic violence erupting within it. Curator: The starkness speaks volumes. It's as if Janinet is forcing us to confront the raw, unfiltered ugliness of revolution. I keep imagining the queen behind that door, holding her breath. Editor: And I keep thinking about the printmaking process itself – the labor, the acid, the press. Each impression a tiny act of rebellion, subtly undermining the very structures it depicts. A true material witness, if you will. Curator: Indeed. A chilling reminder that history is etched, sometimes quite literally, in blood and ink. Editor: A stark illustration indeed, forcing us to reckon with the processes, physical and societal, that give rise to such potent imagery.