THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE'S LAME HOMAGE TO THE PLEBES

LOUIS-PHILLIPE COMPLETES THE MONUMENT THAT NAPOLEON BEGAN, HOPING TO UNITE THE FRENCH AROUND HIM

(IN 1836)

He thanks the humble for bringing him to power by presenting soldiers as men of the people for the first time:

Claude Abron

They are individualized as well.

Till then, warriors were shown as Romans, whether they were kings, nobles — adversaries included  — or leaders of mercenaries...

Louis XIII at place des Vosges,  Louis XIV at the Musée Carnavalet

At the Saint-Denis gate, 1674 / Carolyn Ristau

Nobles fight other nobles.

La Paie des soldats from the tapestry "Les Fruits de la guerre" (Soldiers' pay, The Fruits of War), 1546-1548 at the Renaissance Museum / zoom

But commoners were anonymous...

L'Ange de la mort vainc Sennarcherib, ("The Angel of Death conquers  Sennarcherib), 17th century / zoom

As are the fighters in paintings about the Revolution of 1830.

 

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These soldiers of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic armies on are courageous, determined, individualized, ordinary...

Photos from the diorama at the arch's summit

And need binoculars to decipher:

          Claude Abron

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Next,

The July Column, as evasive