Gendarme met een man 1773 - 1843

"Gendarme met een man" is a pencil drawing by Georges Michel. Born in Paris during the reign of Louis XV, Michel witnessed the French Revolution and the subsequent rise and fall of Napoleon. This sketch of a policeman with a man evokes the social and political tensions of post-revolutionary France. It suggests the policing of everyday life and the ever-present authority of the state. The presence of the gendarme, a symbol of law and order, implies the need for control in a society undergoing profound change. The identities of the subjects are not revealed, but we might consider the implications of how gender, class, and political affiliation shaped interactions between individuals and authority figures during this period. Michel’s work opens up an intimate conversation about power, identity, and the delicate balance between freedom and control that continues to resonate today.