By the Sword and the Plow: Théodore Chassériau's Cour des Comptes Murals and Algeria

TLDR: Theodore Chasseriau's monumental cycle for the Cour des Comptes in the Palais d'Orsay, Paris, executed between 1844 and 1848, was a crucial exponent of the mid-nineteenth-century revival of mural painting and its concomitant, allegory as mentioned in this paper.

Abstract: Theodore Chasseriau's monumental cycle for the Cour des Comptes in the Palais d'Orsay, Paris, executed between 1844 and 1848, was a crucial exponent of the mid-nineteenth-century revival of mural painting and its concomitant, allegory. This essay proposes that the artist reanimated outdated conventions by structuring the ensemble so as to incorporate visitors into a visual narrative drawing on the vernacular of colonial rhetoric and debate pertaining to Algeria. The testimony of Theophile Gautier, parallels with contemporary discourse, and references to archaeological excavations in Algeria suggest further that the program resonated with themes central to France's involvement in Africa.