Paris Sauvé, a rare 34-page pamphlet in-octavo issued without name of either author or publisher, recounts the events from 12 to 15 July
The author, describing himself (for we assume it is a he) only as a Parisian, notes that it is impossible to produce a definitive history at this early point, but offers a preliminary sketch, dedicated to “you courageous Parisians, brave fellow citizens, liberators of all France”
14 July 1789: Fall of the Bastille. The great #medal by Bertrand Andrieu (1761-1822), which launched his career as a medalist.
The dramatic scene of the crowd storming the fortress was produced & reproduced in various versions.
#3 is from the workshop of James Tassie (1735-1799), known for his reproductions of ancient cameos & some modern medals. His collection was auctioned off in 1882; this piece from further sell-offs of the 1960s
Builidng contractor Pierre-François Palloy (23 January 1755 – 1835), calling himself Patriot Palloy, promptly took advantage of the storming of the Bastille by assuming control over its demolition and selling fragments as souvenirs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Fran%C3%A7ois_Palloy#/media/File:Carnavalet_-_Mod%C3%A8le_r%C3%A9duit_de_la_Bastille_01.jpg)
Here, he adopts Andrieu's scene by using lead from the chains of the Bastille and adding a description to that effect. (1) An original (2) my bronze cast copy
For Americans, this is #BastilleDay rather than just #14juillet or fête nationale. But most of us are also unaware that it was not a holiday even under some republican regimes & finally became the modern festival only during the Third Republic, in 1880.
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