La Violation des caveaux des rois dans la basilique de Saint-Denis, en octobre 1793 1793

Hubert Robert painted “La Violation des caveaux des rois dans la basilique de Saint-Denis, en octobre 1793” to document the desecration of royal tombs during the French Revolution. In this painting, Robert captures a moment of iconoclasm, as revolutionaries exhumed and destroyed the remains of French monarchs. The desecration was intended to eradicate symbols of the monarchy, and assert the values of the new republic. The artist himself was imprisoned during the Revolution, narrowly escaping execution. Robert's painting depicts the revolutionaries as laborers engaged in a task of demolition. Yet, their actions invite reflection on the relationship between memory, power, and identity, particularly in times of radical social upheaval. The painting serves as a reminder of the complex ways in which societies grapple with their past, and the emotional and personal dimensions inherent in the act of reshaping collective memory.