"The Little Girl of Bonchamp in 1793" By The French Painter Jean Paul Laurent | ArtLiveAndBeauty

 

"The Little Girl of Bonchamp in 1793", 1893 - French painter, muralist, sculptor, graphic artist and illustrator Jean Paul Laurent.

In a major battle at Cholet in 1793, the Vendean rebel army was badly defeated, and their leader, Charles de Bonchamp, was mortally wounded.His wife fled with their daughter and son, who died on the way, but they were eventually captured. The wife escaped execution, as the dying Bonchamps pardoned 5,000 captured French republicans who were to be executed after the battle, since the defeated army could not take them with them.

Bonchamp's young daughter Zoe, who was sent to court for a pardon letter, was asked by the judges to sing the song. She spontaneously sang "Long Live, Long Live the King, Down with the Republic". The judges were touched by the resourcefulness of the little girl, and she left the court with a letter of pardon to her mother.