Signs of power : iconoclasm in Paris, 1789-1795
This thesis is about iconoclasm in Paris, 1789-1795. Previous full-length studies on the subject have condemned revolutionary iconoclasm as ~vandalism~ because, they claim, it showed barbaric disrespect for art's sacred, aesthetic and historical values. This thesis argues that such condemnations are anachronistic because they fail to recognise the variety of ways in which late eighteenth-century Parisians used art, assessed its value and established appropriate ways of treating it. For many eighteenth-century Parisians, religious and political art had a vital role to play in mediating struggles for meaning in the wider world. Many Parisians did not privilege the aesthetic and historical values of art, nor did they believe that such values offered necessary and sufficient grounds for automatically respecting art's physical integrity. This thesis explores the various ways in which different interest groups sought to preserve or destroy art for political and/or religious reasons, and the resulting tension between groups who did, or did not, believe that all art ought to be divorced from such struggles. The thesis draws on a wider range of manuscript and printed sources than have been used in previous studies,
Clay, Richard Simon
Revolutionary
Signs of power : iconoclasm in Paris, 1789-1795. This thesis is about iconoclasm in Paris, 1789-1795. Previous full-length studies on the subject have condemned revolutionary iconoclasm as ~vandalism~ because, they claim, it showed barbaric disrespect for art's sacred, aesthetic and historical values. This thesis argues that such condemnations are anachronistic because they fail to recognise the variety of ways in which late eighteenth-century Parisians used art, assessed its value and established appropriate ways of treating it. For many eighteenth-century Parisians, religious and political art had a vital role to play in mediating struggles for meaning in the wider world. Many Parisians did not privilege the aesthetic and historical values of art, nor did they believe that such values offered necessary and sufficient grounds for automatically respecting art's physical integrity. This thesis explores the various ways in which different interest groups sought to preserve or destroy art for political and/or religious reasons, and the resulting tension between groups who did, or did not, believe that all art ought to be divorced from such struggles. The thesis draws on a wider range of manuscript and printed sources than have been used in previous studies,
power iconoclasm paris iconoclasm paris previous full_length study subject condemn revolutionary iconoclasm claim show art sacred aesthetic historical value argues condemnation anachronistic fail recognise variety_way use art assess value establish appropriate_way treat many eighteenth_century religious_political art vital_role play mediate struggle mean wider world many privilege aesthetic historical value art believe value offer necessary_sufficient ground automatically respect art physical integrity explores_various way different interest_group seek preserve destroy art political and religious reason result tension group believe art ought divorce struggle draw wider_range manuscript print_source use previous_study