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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1799

Sieyès Directeur

Charles François Gabriel Le Vachez / Jean Duplessis-Bertaux · c. 1799

A contemporary engraved medallion portrait of Sieyès above a scene depicting the coup of 18 Brumaire.

This print portrays Sieyès and links him directly to the coup of 18 Brumaire that he helped engineer.

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Engraved print of Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès in profile within an oval medallion, wearing a plumed hat and clerical-style lace collar. Below is a framed scene of figures in period dress in a room with a clock and a table, captioned Joseph Emmanuel Sieyes, né à Frejus le 3 mai 1748.
Charles François Gabriel Le Vachez / Jean Duplessis-Bertaux, Sieyès Directeur, c. 1799.

About this source

What it is

This engraving shows a profile medallion portrait of Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès above a framed scene representing the coup of 18 Brumaire, Year VIII (1799). It is a contemporary print by Charles François Gabriel Le Vachez and Jean Duplessis-Bertaux.

Why it matters

By pairing Sieyès's portrait directly with an image of the coup, the print ties him firmly to the event that ended the Directory and brought Napoleon Bonaparte to power. It reflects how Sieyès was seen by contemporaries as one of the architects of that political turning point.

Look closer

  • Why might the artist have chosen to combine a portrait with a historical scene rather than show just one or the other?
  • What does the caption giving his birth details suggest about the print's purpose?
  • What does this image not tell you about Sieyès's actual role in the coup?

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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