Saint Denis c. 1885

Michel Dumas created this pencil drawing of Saint Denis sometime in the 19th century. Although unfinished, this sketch provides insight into the artistic and social context of its time. The image creates meaning through visual codes and historical associations. The gridlines suggest this may have been a preparatory sketch for a larger history painting. The figure of Saint Denis, a 3rd-century Christian martyr, evokes the religious and political debates prevalent in 19th-century France. Following the French Revolution, the Catholic Church’s role in public life was hotly contested and became central to political discourse. The image of Saint Denis holding a cross may have served as a self-consciously conservative statement in support of traditional institutions. To better understand this image, one might research the role of religious imagery in 19th-century French art, the cultural significance of Saint Denis, or the institutional history of French art academies. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional contexts.