Primary sourcePainting1791

The Oath of Lafayette at the Festival of the Federation, 14 July 1790

L. David · 1791

A 1791 painting showing Lafayette swearing the civic oath at the Fête de la Fédération, a celebration marking the first anniversary of the Revolution.

Shows Lafayette swearing the civic oath at the height of his popularity during the Revolution.

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Painting of a uniformed officer in a tricorne hat with a red-and-white plume standing on a stepped platform, raising his hand beside a draped altar topped with a cross and a sword. A woman in white holds a tall flagpole with a tricolour flag. Clergy in gold vestments, soldiers with banners, and onlookers fill the scene under a stormy sky with light breaking through clouds. — L. David, The Oath of Lafayette at the Festival of the Federation, 1791. Musée Carnavalet.

About this source

What it is

This painting by L. David shows the Marquis de Lafayette in uniform, raising his hand to swear an oath on a draped altar before clergy, soldiers and a large crowd at the Festival of the Federation on 14 July 1790. It is held today at the Musée Carnavalet in Paris.

Why it matters

Painted close to the event, it captures Lafayette at the height of his popularity, acting as a unifying figure of the Revolution's first anniversary celebrations. The scene brings together soldiers, clergy and ordinary citizens, showing how Lafayette was publicly positioned as a guarantor of national unity between the old order and the new.

Look closer

Why would an artist choose to paint a public oath rather than a private moment?
What do the different groups of people in the painting—the clergy, soldiers, and crowd—suggest about who the Revolution tried to include?
How does the painting's mood and lighting shape how Lafayette is presented?

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