The Dauphin, Louis-Charles, and heir to the throne was imprisoned in the Temple fortress during the revolution. He was seen as a potential threat to the republic and so revolutionaries put him under constant surveillance in a dark cell. They abused him and left him in isolation. His cell was not cleaned and there was no toilet facility for him to use. Therefore, his cell became infested with vermin and his physical and mental health diminished, until he died. It is quite hard to believe that the son of a King was actually treated in this manner. The fact that the political scene in France was constantly changing and there was fear that the monarchy could be restored at any moment frightened revolutionaries like Robespierres, to the extent that they locked up the prince in this inhumane manner. I think this is a really interesting aspect to the revolution and i'd like to comment on the story of this unfortunate prince somewhere in my work.
I have looked at Egon Schiele's work to inspire my drawings of Louis-Charles.
I really like the way Schiele uses simple lines to create rather striking body shapes. As Louis-Charles was left in isolation, his limbs became awkwardly elongated and his body unnaturally formed. Schiele's work portrays this whilst giving the sense of discomfort I want to achieve.
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