A week and a half ago, I took part in a celebration of Keith Michael Baker’s new book, Jean-Paul Marat: Prophet of Terror, graciously hosted at Harvard by Emma Rothschild and Malick Ghachem.
Superb review: thank you for such a thought-provoking piece. I think the answer to the question as to why Robespierre, St-Just and others took Marat seriously may be that they didn’t…at least, not at face value. In the political context of his assassination and the months afterwards, it was a political necessity for the Jacobins to eulogise Marat, so much of the ‘martyrdom’ rhetoric was performative, rather than sincere. That’s what I get my students to consider, at least.
Thanks for a wonderful review -- I'm definitely going to get this book (and hopefully review also).
Desmoulins had a great line in a 1790 article when trying to cool Marat's zeal and distance himself a little, since they were both being threatened with prosecution for incitement to violence: "Vous êtes le dramaturge des journalistes. Les Danaïdes, les Barmécides ne sont rien en comparaison de vos tragédies. Vous égorgeriez tous les personnages de la pièce, et jusqu’au souffleur. Vous ignorez donc que le tragique outré devient froid." (You are the dramatist of journalism. The Danaids, the Barmecids are nothing compared to your tragedies. You would slaughter all the characters in the play, right down to the prompter. So you don't know that tragedy turns cold when it's over the top!)
Side note: Babies in the Soviet Union were still being named Marat as late as 1960! See Russian (now expatriate) gallerist and write Marat Gelman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marat_Gelman
Oh, and another interesting detail. I don't know if it comes up in this book, but Marat loathed Voltaire, partly IIRC for personal reasons: I think Voltaire had ridiculed one of his "scientific" works. Anyway, during the preparations for Voltaire's transfer to the Pantheon in the spring of 1791, Marat published an article fulminating against Voltaire as a "vile corruptor of youth" (L'Ami du Peuple, 6 April 1791). I came across this tidbit while doing research for a novel set during the French Revolution (and absolutely had to work it in).
Also, you are no doubt aware of the Marquis de Sade's brief stint as a Marat cultist. He wrote a quatrain proposed for an inscription on a bust of Marat:
Du vrai républicain unique et chère idole,
De ta perte, Marat, ton image console:
Qui chérit un grand homme adopte ses vertus:
Les cendres de Scévole ont fait naître Brutus.
(Of good republicans dear idol one and true,
Your image comforts us, Marat, while mourning you.
Isn't it? I stumbled on all of these entirely by accident! Was looking at a selection of contemporary reactions to the pantheonization of Voltaire, and - holy moly! And I forget why I was even looking at the 1793 Mercure but suddenly there was that poem, signed "Citoyen Sade de la section des Piques." A great poet, he was not.
I'm sure you know Chènier's Ode to Charlotte Corday, which is quite brilliant and has some very choice words and metaphors for Marat. "Le serpent noir, sorti de sa caverne impure..." etc.
This is so interesting, so full of insight. Thank you for sending it. This is the kind of analysis that makes scholarship important as well as exciting
Marat seems like the epitome of a left-wing revolutionary - obsessed with tearing things down, never satisfied, fueled by hatred. It's very fitting that he died violently.
Superb review: thank you for such a thought-provoking piece. I think the answer to the question as to why Robespierre, St-Just and others took Marat seriously may be that they didn’t…at least, not at face value. In the political context of his assassination and the months afterwards, it was a political necessity for the Jacobins to eulogise Marat, so much of the ‘martyrdom’ rhetoric was performative, rather than sincere. That’s what I get my students to consider, at least.
Thanks!
Thanks for a wonderful review -- I'm definitely going to get this book (and hopefully review also).
Desmoulins had a great line in a 1790 article when trying to cool Marat's zeal and distance himself a little, since they were both being threatened with prosecution for incitement to violence: "Vous êtes le dramaturge des journalistes. Les Danaïdes, les Barmécides ne sont rien en comparaison de vos tragédies. Vous égorgeriez tous les personnages de la pièce, et jusqu’au souffleur. Vous ignorez donc que le tragique outré devient froid." (You are the dramatist of journalism. The Danaids, the Barmecids are nothing compared to your tragedies. You would slaughter all the characters in the play, right down to the prompter. So you don't know that tragedy turns cold when it's over the top!)
Side note: Babies in the Soviet Union were still being named Marat as late as 1960! See Russian (now expatriate) gallerist and write Marat Gelman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marat_Gelman
Oh, and another interesting detail. I don't know if it comes up in this book, but Marat loathed Voltaire, partly IIRC for personal reasons: I think Voltaire had ridiculed one of his "scientific" works. Anyway, during the preparations for Voltaire's transfer to the Pantheon in the spring of 1791, Marat published an article fulminating against Voltaire as a "vile corruptor of youth" (L'Ami du Peuple, 6 April 1791). I came across this tidbit while doing research for a novel set during the French Revolution (and absolutely had to work it in).
Also, you are no doubt aware of the Marquis de Sade's brief stint as a Marat cultist. He wrote a quatrain proposed for an inscription on a bust of Marat:
Du vrai républicain unique et chère idole,
De ta perte, Marat, ton image console:
Qui chérit un grand homme adopte ses vertus:
Les cendres de Scévole ont fait naître Brutus.
(Of good republicans dear idol one and true,
Your image comforts us, Marat, while mourning you.
In cherishing great men, we emulate their worth;
Scaevola's ashes thus to Brutus will give birth.)
Hah! Thanks for these. Fascinating.
Isn't it? I stumbled on all of these entirely by accident! Was looking at a selection of contemporary reactions to the pantheonization of Voltaire, and - holy moly! And I forget why I was even looking at the 1793 Mercure but suddenly there was that poem, signed "Citoyen Sade de la section des Piques." A great poet, he was not.
I'm sure you know Chènier's Ode to Charlotte Corday, which is quite brilliant and has some very choice words and metaphors for Marat. "Le serpent noir, sorti de sa caverne impure..." etc.
Great essay.
930 pages! Did Chicago replace its editors with AI bots?
It was edited down from much longer.
This is so interesting, so full of insight. Thank you for sending it. This is the kind of analysis that makes scholarship important as well as exciting
Superb piece. As Oakeshott suggested, one’s politics (political philosophy) is rooted in one’s temperament.
Hmm, almost seems like the essay (or the book?) goes out of its way to avoid the f word. As in "proto fascist"
Marat seems like the epitome of a left-wing revolutionary - obsessed with tearing things down, never satisfied, fueled by hatred. It's very fitting that he died violently.
It was Dan Gordon, not Malick Ghacem, who made the comment about the subtitle being "Prophet of Terror," not "Prophet of the Terror."
oops. You’re right. Malick referred to it, but it was Dan’s.