Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van de bestormers van de Bastille door Paul Delaroche before 1858

This is a photomechanical print by Robert Jefferson Bingham of Paul Delaroche’s painting of the Storming of the Bastille. Bingham made this image sometime between 1825 and 1870, capturing an event laden with political meaning. Delaroche’s painting, now known only through reproductions, captured a pivotal moment in the French Revolution, an event spurred by deep social and economic divides. This photograph, in turn, reproduces Delaroche's version of the event, shaping our understanding of this historical moment. Consider the layers of representation at play here: a painter interpreting a historical event, and then a photographer interpreting that interpretation. What does it mean to see a revolution filtered through multiple artistic lenses? How do these layers affect the story being told, and who gets to tell it?