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Primary sourcePaintingYear 1 of the Republic

Sieyès, Deputy for the Sarthe to the National Convention

François Bonneville · Year 1 of the Republic

An engraved profile portrait of Sieyès made when he sat as deputy for the Sarthe in the National Convention.

Portrait of Sieyès as deputy for the Sarthe during his time in the National Convention.

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Engraved oval portrait in profile facing left of a man with powdered hair in a tied queue, wearing a dark buttoned coat and white cravat. Beneath is the printed caption 'Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes' and an inscription naming him deputy for the Sarthe to the National Convention, year 1 of the Republic. Signed 'Dessiné et Gravé par F. Bonneville'.
François Bonneville, Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, deputy for the Sarthe to the National Convention, Year 1 of the Republic.

About this source

What it is

This is an engraved oval portrait of Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, shown in profile wearing powdered hair and a dark coat. It was drawn and engraved by F. Bonneville and names him as deputy for the Sarthe to the National Convention, in year 1 of the Republic.

Why it matters

Sieyès was a leading political theorist of the French Revolution, and this print belongs to a popular series of engraved portraits of revolutionary figures sold to the public. It shows how ordinary citizens could encounter the faces of their new representatives during the Convention and Terror years.

Look closer

  • What does the formal pose and clothing suggest about how Sieyès wanted to be seen?
  • Why might printmakers have produced series of portraits like this during the Revolution?
  • What is missing from this image that might tell us more about his actual political views?

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

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