HER ROUTE TO THE GUILLOTINE WAS MEANT TO HUMILIATE
The king goes to the scaffold by coach...
Le procès et mort du roi, YouTube, 2011
But the queen goes in an open cart for hauling garbage, as were prostitutes, criminals and opponents. But at least they were exhibited and jeered together...
Transport of Prostitutes by Etienne Jeurat, 1757 / zoom
Poster of an exhibit at the National Archives
.jpg)
The Last Cartload, anonymous / work sold on eBay
Whereas Marie-Antoinette was alone.
She ignored the crowd and sat in the cart with as much dignity as on a throne.
 |
| Marie-Antoinette on her Way to Execution by Jacques-Louis-David, sketch from a window / zoom |
On the scaffold she stumbled and bumped into the executioner.
Her last words: "Please excuse me, Monsieur le Bourreau."*
*"Bourreau:" executioner.
# # #
Her execution is seared into the national story:
It may be history's most well-known execution.
* * *
Next,
No comments:
Post a Comment