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Primary sourcePainting1791

Portrait of Maximilien de Robespierre

Louis-Léopold Boilly · 1791

A life portrait of Robespierre painted by Louis-Léopold Boilly in 1791, showing him as a fashionable deputy of the Constituent Assembly.

This life portrait shows Robespierre as a fashionable deputy at the height of his early political career.

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Oil painting of a seated man with powdered grey hair wearing a light blue coat, green waistcoat, white cravat and white breeches. He sits in a red-upholstered chair beside a writing desk with papers, and a small spaniel-like dog is at his feet against a dark background.
Louis-Léopold Boilly, Portrait of Maximilien de Robespierre, 1791. Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille.

About this source

What it is

This oil painting by Louis-Léopold Boilly, made in 1791, shows Maximilien Robespierre seated beside a writing desk with papers, dressed in a powdered wig and fine clothing, with a small dog at his feet. It is held at the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille.

Why it matters

Painted from life, this portrait captures Robespierre during his years as a deputy to the Constituent Assembly, before the Terror made his name infamous. The careful, elegant dress and calm setting show how he presented himself publicly at the height of his early political career, quite different from the revolutionary firebrand he later became in popular memory.

Look closer

  • What does his clothing and posture suggest about how he wanted to be seen?
  • Why might an artist include a desk with papers in a portrait of a politician?
  • How does this image compare with later, harsher depictions of Robespierre?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Maximilien Robespierre on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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