Transformation of Monarchical Symbols on Cast-Iron Firebacks During the French Revolution (1789-1799)
Abstract
The purpose of the research paper is to identify the transformation of monarchical symbolism into revolutionary imagery under the influence of socio-political and cultural processes during the French Revolution, using cast-iron firebacks as a case study.
The scientific novelty resides in a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of monarchical symbolism on French cast-iron firebacks as an integral part of revolutionary symbolic policy. A range of little-known artifacts from private collections has been introduced into scientific discourse and analysed. This makes it possible to trace the principal stages of the transition from monarchical to republican iconography in the material culture of the late 18th century.
Conclusions. Cast-iron firebacks vividly reflect the processes of transformation in political symbolism during the French Revolution of 1789-1799. The study establishes that the transformation of monarchical symbols was gradual and directly dependent on the political situation in France. During the period of the Constitutional Monarchy (1791-1792), traditional royal emblems and new revolutionary symbols coexisted on firebacks. Following the proclamation of the First French Republic, and particularly during the Reign of Terror, monarchical symbols, specifically the crown and the 'fleur-de-lis', were systematically displaced. They were either omitted entirely from new fireback compositions or mechanically destroyed on existing artifacts.
The decrees of the National Convention of October 1793 served as an important instrument of state policy regarding revolutionary iconoclasm. Practices such as turning firebacks face to the wall, or grinding and defacing royal emblems, were not random manifestations of revolutionary radicalism. Instead, they constituted regulated measures aimed at purging the material environment of monarchical symbols.
The iconographic analysis allows tracing the formation of a new revolutionary symbolic canon. Royal coats of arms, crowns, and heraldic lilies were replaced by the Phrygian cap, lictors’ fasces, laurel wreaths, the Gallic rooster, revolutionary mottoes, and other attributes of the Republic. Certain manufacturers employed transitional compositions that combined old and new symbols. This reflected both the gradual nature of political shifts and the desire of craftsmen to adapt to new ideological requirements.
The examined artifacts also demonstrate the non-uniform nature of revolutionary practices across different regions of France. A significant number of firebacks exhibiting traces of deliberate destruction of monarchical symbolism originate from Franche-Comté. This suggests both a more rigorous execution of the decrees of the National Convention and regional variations in public attitudes toward the monarchical heritage. In our view, the province of Franche-Comté, renowned for its historical opposition to the centralised monarchy, emerged as a key centre of this visual revolution. At the same time, it preserved artifacts that today enable the reconstruction of the evolution of political symbolism in metal during the late 19th century.
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