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Primary sourcePainting1799

Sieyès, Membre du Directoire Exécutif, en Grand Costume

François Bonneville · 1799

A hand-coloured 1799 engraving of Sieyès in the official ceremonial costume of a Director of the French Republic.

This 1799 print shows Sieyès as a Director, in the ceremonial costume of his official position just before 18 Brumaire.

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Hand-coloured engraved print of a standing man in ceremonial costume: a tall black hat with red, white, and blue plumes, a white lace collar, a blue coat embroidered in gold, a red sash, a sword, and a red cloak lined with gold. He stands on a chequered floor, looking left, with one hand extended. Caption below reads SIEYES, Membre du Directoire Executif, en Grand Costume.
François Bonneville, Sieyès, Membre du Directoire Exécutif, en Grand Costume, 1799.

About this source

What it is

This is a hand-coloured engraving by François Bonneville, a print-seller in Paris, made in 1799. It shows Sieyès standing in the elaborate official costume worn by members of the Directory, France's executive government at the time.

Why it matters

The print is part of a series documenting the official costumes of the French Revolution's representatives. It illustrates how the Directory used formal dress, plumes, sashes, and swords, to project authority and legitimacy, and shows Sieyès at the height of his power just before the coup that would end the Directory.

Look closer

  • What does the elaborate costume suggest about how the Directory wanted its leaders to be seen?
  • Why might a print-seller have produced a whole series of such costume portraits?
  • What does the formal pose and setting leave out about the real political situation at the time?

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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