The Mysterious Urn, with the hidden silhouettes of the French royal family 1793 - 1800

Pierre Jean Joseph Denis Crussaire created this print, titled "The Mysterious Urn," using etching and engraving. It's an allegorical image reflecting the turmoil of the French Revolution. Here, France is personified as a weeping woman next to a funerary monument dedicated to the Royal Family of Louis XVI. The urn has silhouettes of the King, Queen, and Madame Elizabeth; the weeping willow above them holds the profiles of the Dauphin and Madame de France. The artist uses the convention of neoclassicism, but subverts it, by using it to mourn the death of the monarchy, rather than celebrating it. The institutions of monarchy and aristocracy are here seen to be eroded and destroyed. To fully grasp its meaning, we need to delve into the history of the French Revolution, the role of the monarchy, and the artistic conventions of the period. Examination of other prints and political cartoons of the time can shed light on the diversity of opinions and the way in which the social structures were being contested.