There was a time in the West when men's fashion involved lots of silk and lace and high heels.
This extravagant garb has since fallen out of style, but it doesn't mean that it's no
longer beautiful. To tell you the truth, I never knew how to appreciate the fashion - it seemed
fussy and itchy - until I went to art school and became acquainted with Janelle's work.
It was through their art that I was able to see the beauty in these bygone eras and what's more,
I felt inspired to learn about the past. Today, I want to share some of that fascination with you by
exploring the life of a very peculiar 18th century gentleman, using art to tell his story. We'll be
making some character designs of one of history's most well-known but least understood figures,
French revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre. Or, if you prefer, *Maximilien Robespierre*. Enjoy. Let's first introduce
some artistic context. Two movements dominated the 18th century: Baroque and Rococo. Both used
luxurious detail to invigorate the senses. Dresses grew wider, wigs piled higher, all the way through,
it was form over function. However, by the century's end, the political situation in Europe took a turn
and fashion followed. The frills and ruffles of the aristocracy gave way to simpler silhouettes
inspired by the Greeks and Romans - quite fitting - as democratic ideas entered the mainstream. We
are entering the 1780s and 90s, and France is undergoing a rather violent identity crisis.
So, how did gentlemen dress back in the day? Underneath everything, he would wear a simple shirt
usually made out of linen. This would then be tucked into a pair of breeches and tied at the
top with a cravat. Next, he puts on his stockings and adds a waistcoat, leaving the top buttons
undone to let the lace peek through. Finally, he puts on his coat. In terms of hair, wigs during the
late 18th century were going out of style, but they were far from obsolete. They were curled at the
sides and tied at the back. Natural hair could also be pomaded, curled, and powdered to achieve this look.
When I design characters, I first need to understand their role in the larger story. Heroes
need to feel different from villains. But, if I've learned anything from history, it's that there is
never just one story. So, who was Robespierre? What role did he play in the revolution?
This is where things start getting really complicated.
In case you aren't familiar with the course of events, the French Revolution is considered a
major turning point in world history because of the progressive ideas that took seed and spread.
Feudalism and old social fissures were replaced by a system which judged all people equally,
so long as you're male and also white. Something I find amusing is that it was very much an age when
theatrics merged into politics; every leader has a distinct personality. Here, we have precise and
uptight Robespierre, wearing silk stockings from Lyon, bold and brash Danton, and then Marat,
who ran a popular newspaper called Friend of the People and was assassinated in a bathtub.
Considering the chaos and how frequently the pendulum of power swung between political parties,
it is no surprise that Robespierre's legacy is riddled with controversy. There seems to be a
dominant narrative, however. Before learning about this more seriously, I had heard of Robespierre.
I thought of him as a prime example of situational irony: he was a fanatical dictator who had sent
hundreds of people to the guillotine only to be guillotined himself at the end. Obviously,
this is quite a two-dimensional portrait. He was a different character at different
stages of his life and who he is as a symbol is different from who he was as a person. All that
we know him to be today is too much to contain in one design, so we are going to make several,
all of which fit into his legacy. Starting with the most widespread of perceptions.
First, a bit of background on this guy. Robespierre was born to a middle-class family in the northern
province of Artois. He made a modest living as a lawyer, but as the revolution picked up steam, he
found himself at the center of politics in Paris. He was a persistent, logical speaker, and his works
became keystones in directing public opinion. He is best remembered however, for his role in
the Reign of Terror - a period of time when 17 000 people were officially executed. He was arrested
on 9 Thermidor Year II, or in our calendar, July 27th, 1794. Without further ado, let's start drawing.
For this interpretation, we're going to be using descriptions published after his death. They are
scathing. Many of them involve his dishonest appearance. When Merlin de Thionville was asked how
he had bought himself to sentence Robespierre, he at first seemed remorseful. But then,
rising violently, he exclaimed: if you had seen his green eyes, you would have sentenced him just as I
did. Dishonesty is difficult to capture, but what seems to work is obscuring his figure.
With his cloak, it looks like he has something to hide. In this first sketch, I leaned into the inky
blacks and created a dramatic silhouette because I liked the power it gave him.
Janelle followed up with a few more drawings, placing the same emphasis on black and white
design. These costumes range from fairly tame to completely and utterly diabolical. Notice the sharp
corners, the snake-like braid, and how accessories obscure the face. However, none of them felt quite
right. We realized that we wanted to create a villain with more depth, and the
lack of focus on his face prevented these designs from connecting with the audience.
So, for our next round of explorations, we focused on the face entirely. These were sketches Janelle
made, and this is when I felt the spark that comes when you know that you're headed in the right
direction. The facial expressions do a lot. While these all feel sinister, some are more nervous in
constitution. Others are dangerously calm, or moody, or look like they've seen some things.
Robespierre, unlike his counterparts was known to be more sensitive. His power is more subtle.
His opponents write vividly about this awkwardness. Some say that he never laughed, and when he tried
to smile, only grimaced. My favorite perhaps is that he looked like a cat drinking vinegar.
Now, let's start merging our favorite ideas. In my opinion, my first attempt at the final render was
unsuccessful. The pose was a little awkward but most importantly, it wasn't as powerful without
the black and white style. Janelle followed up with another render and this time, it felt right. Let me
take you through the elements. First and foremost, we wanted him to feel cold and dangerous like a
blade, so we made use of pointed shapes. His hands are claw-like. We also carried over the tricorn
hat from the initial sketch, which, depending on the angle, could look like horns. Lastly, we added
dark streaks at the roots of his powder-white wig. It has this polluting, impure quality. Interestingly,
Robespierre never attended an execution until his own. He preferred to distance himself from
those he condemned. Instead, he sentenced his political rivals using his pen, so we fashioned
the feather to look like a blade, the white streak cutting through the dark shapes. We also liked how
the buttons when lined up would make his clothing feel like sheets of metal. To further emphasize the
metallic quality, we used a blood red somewhere a little unexpected: the insides of his cape.
The idea was that if this character were animated, we could play with the concealing then sudden
revealing of this red in dramatic, windy moments. The cape was actually inspired by French fashion
designer Christian Louboutin who is known for his iconic red soled shoes. That said, let's embark on
a tangent about the color red. despite Louboutin's signature look, this was not a completely original
idea. The first person who was actually recorded to have worn red heels consistently
was King Louis XIV of France. At the time, red dyes were made by crushing the dried bodies of
the cochineal insect and it was expensive. But, just to make sure that this item would remain coveted,
in 1673, he issued an edict declaring that only nobility could wear the color. By the time the
French Revolution came around, the popularity of red heels among aristocrats had faded. They
would not resurface again until the 1900s when they re-emerged exclusively as women's fashion [see correction].
Anyways, Robespierre would have never been able to afford a cape such as this, but we like how
this indulgent red feels secretive - how it can be concealed according to his will. We're keeping
it. You may have noticed at this point that our costumes are not that historically accurate. This
drawing for instance builds on historical menswear using inspiration from punk and goth fashion.
While historical accuracy is nice, incorporating modern influences allows us to express character
in a way that audiences can better interpret. For our next design, we're going to pivot 180 degrees.
As our foundation, we will be using memoirs written by those who lived with Robespierre.
They describe a version of him that feels disembodied from the repulsive, corrupted image
spread in the years following his death. Prominent players in the revolution had nicknames: Marat was
"friend of the people", Saint-Just was the "angel of death", Madame la Guillotine, well, she had many. Robespierre was
"the incorruptible". A bit of background: as a young lawyer, he was particularly influenced
by enlightenment thinkers and their progressive beliefs. Above all, he believed in the sovereignty
of the people. In his spare time, he hung out at the Rosati Club - a literary arts society - and partook
in their poetic traditions, writing, interesting poems about tarts and empty cups. He was also a
tremendous lover of birds. When the pigeon he had entrusted his sister to care for died, his sister
wrote, "Maximilien's tears flowed. He piled reproaches and swore that he would no more confer
any of his dear pigeons on us". More details of his domestic life are revealed by Elizabeth Lebas.
She writes, in the evening, Ropespierre read us the works of Corneille, Voltaire, and Rousseau. We listened
to him as a family with great pleasure. He knew so well how to make what he was reading felt.
After an hour or two of reading, he retired to his room saying good evening to us all. He had a
profound respect for my father and mother. They too regarded him as a son and we as a brother. Before
we move on to the final renders, a quick tangent on wigs: I think it's safe to say that 18th century
style wigs feel too outdated to appeal to a wide audience. Most performances set in the 18th century
keep the cuts and silhouettes of the clothing but replace the wig entirely, the most popular example
being Hamilton. In fact, the only wig seen is used on the most out-of-touch, two-dimensional
villain character. For Robespierre however, the wig is pretty central to his personality. He
always felt compelled to present himself cleanly. His wig was always powdered and carefully curled.
So, instead of removing it, we chose to stylize and simplify so that it felt more natural.
I kept my lines extremely loose, which made it feel less stiff and itchy.
I like to approach design holistically, so one thing I'm doing is referring back to our previous
design to inspire decisions. if these characters are diametrically opposed, we can turn edgy lines
into soft ones and pointy shapes into round ones. Here are the results: for the color palette, we took
some inspiration from Rococo era paintings. Even if the revolution obliterated the style, its romantic
quality was too compelling to set aside. We decked him out in powder pinks so much so that you can
almost taste the sweetness. Fun fact: some poses were inspired by the shapes of pigeons. Now, onto
our last version, by far the most difficult to get right. So, our first design used text
written in the wake of his demise and our second, memoirs published long after the revolution's end.
Surely, you can see the problem with this. The first is pure propaganda and the second, very incomplete.
Historiography on Robespierre is extensive. Works published up until the turn of the
century are generally very unreliable, since most sources were influenced by partisanship.
After Robespierre's fall, there was a rush to denounce him and his accomplices. Many politicians
found it easy to wipe their hands clean by pinning all the revolution's failings onto him.
this is speculation on my part, but that narrative stuck because it was so simple, clear, and direct.
On the other hand, Charlotte's memoirs were published in the 1830s as we saw
a resurgence of historical studies about the French Revolution. Over time, historians were
allowed to study the period more freely and more sympathetic perspectives emerged.
This is why there have been so many contradictions - how Robespierre could be both portrayed as this
and this. Today, things are a little different. Historians from the past decade have a new
focus: to study Robespierre as a person instead of the embodiment of the revolution. Our final
version will attempt to piece together a more realistic version of Robespierre by taking into
account various perspectives popular then and now. Janelle took on the design for this version.
The first few attempts were way too soft; he doesn't look like the kind of person capable of
sentencing a king to death. The second matched the descriptions but felt too unappealing and
plain for him to be a main character. This is what's proving hard to balance: his appearance
was unremarkable. He was a middling form and delicate complexion. His eyes were rather dull.
However, he was a revolutionary leader with big ideas. He spoke with passion for abolishing the
death penalty, denounced slavery, and argued for universal male suffrage. Much more controversially,
in 1794, he authored the Law of 22 Prarial, which would strip away a person's rights to fair trial.
So, here's what we did: we decided to give him pale skin and eyes, but he is posed to look intensely
deep in thought. Instead of going with the clothing in his most famous portrait, we went for more
iconic green. Lastly, he is firm and stiff both in dress and personality. Despite earlier descriptions
of dishonesty, he was actually known for his conviction and resistance to public pressure.
He was called "the incorruptible" for a reason. We hope that this is reflected in his pose.
So, these are our three reinterpretations. While we kept proportions similar, you can see how
differences in color and style can completely change a character. The study of Robespierre
isn't just about what he did or didn't do. It is also about the complexity of his legacy.
Just for fun, here are some portraits of him through the years. We start fairly grounded and realistic,
but as the years go by, they become more inventive, each trying to make a new statement. Regardless of
your opinion on Robespierre, one thing is clear: we naturally infuse our portraits with contemporary
influences and ideas. We mold our characters based on the narratives we want to push forward. Thank
you for listening and for coming along; this was a lot. If you're interested in learning more about
the fashion or the history, we've got you covered. Find further reading in the description below.