Assignaat van 5 livres, 1791 1791

Curator: Here we have a 5-livre Assignat from 1791, representing the Domaines Nationaux. It’s a paper currency, an engraving of graphic art made during a tumultuous period. I’m particularly drawn to its role as a material artifact tied to the French Revolution. Editor: The aesthetic immediately speaks of that Neoclassical aspiration towards order and reason. However, seeing “Assignat de cinq livres” evokes so much chaos lurking beneath the surface – inflationary currency during social upheaval. Curator: Absolutely. Consider the production: cheap paper made available through revolutionary nationalization printed using mechanized processes so the government could mobilize money and production rapidly in a time of economic crises. Its material fragility mirrors the era's instability. The "DOMAINES NATIONAUX" printed at the top signifies land redistribution a powerful promise for so many French. Editor: Indeed, but let’s not forget the symbolism at play, intended to shore up faith in this new economic instrument. Look closely – the imagery evokes classical virtue, order and patriotism even on currency. Consider its creation during year three of revolution and the weight the iconography was required to carry to sustain the financial burden through hyperinflation. Curator: What strikes me are those imperfections – that handwritten "78" that "29159." Imperfections like these provide evidence of human labor and material vulnerability during an era striving towards mechanization. We must not romanticize pre-industrial craft, yet we cannot dismiss the fact how revolutionary production directly shaped experience with monetary and material forms of social organization. Editor: I concede to your point. But, look closer. Embedded within the ornamentation is a repeated visage of royalty, or nobility that has clearly been over printed. Surely there are iconographic choices made by someone conscious of a message they wanted this object to transmit regarding ideas around hierarchy and rule. Curator: Well said. The over printing may imply social or political correction. Yet considering production would open possibility of financial corruption and fraudulent mark-ups. Editor: Both valid perspectives. Examining the symbols and this document within its social sphere brings to mind its fleeting purpose amid chaos, yet they persisted long beyond use reflecting revolution and the values they embraced as nation. Curator: Precisely; tracing this assignat to the revolutionary processes reveals deep historical, economical, and aesthetic values that have rippled throughout the age.