Terrorism and Anarchy: Late 19th-century Images of a Political Phenomenon in France

Abstract

The final decade of the 19th century witnessed a considerable degree of political turmoil in France. The immediate cause of this unrest was the anarchist movement. There were violent murders, bombings, and secret plots. Paris railroad stations and cafés, the Stock Exchange, and the Chamber of Deputies became the targets of terrorist attacks. Yet despite this outburst of violence and death, very few images of terrorism can be found in the visual arts of the 1890s. Only in rare cases did the 19th-century artist get involved with political extremists.