catalogue about them while holding his post as curator in the Louvre (Gran-
Aymerich 1998: 38).
The French revolutionaries envisioned their own nation as the custodian of
European civilization, and this gave them the right to store the best pieces of
art regardless of their provenance. In France, the works of art were in their
rightful home in the bosom of liberty, creativity and genius, as one revolu-
tionary claimed in 1794 (McClelland 1994: 116). As the directors of the Louvre
asserted in May 1796, ‘The time has come when the kingdom [ofWne arts]
must pass over to France as conWrmation and embellishment of that of liberty’
(in Woolf 1996a: 10). Napoleon was not so diplomatic when he said, ‘we will
have everything beautiful [good] from Italy’ (‘Nous aurons tout ce qu’il y a de
beau en Italie’) (Springer 1987: 64). The arrival of the works of art in Paris
coincided with one of the annual festivals, that of Liberty. The collections were
paraded through Paris, loaded on the same carts in which they had been
transported, which were decorated with garlands and tricolours, and accom-
panied by marching troops and musical bands (McClelland 1994: 121–3). Not
everyone approved. The antiquarian Quetreme`re de Quincy (1755–1845)
wrote in protest about how harmful moving the art monuments was for the
arts and science. He argued that in order to understand art objects they had to
remain in their place of origin (Gran-Aymerich 1998: 40).
It was only when Napoleon invaded Rome again in 1809 that the French
encouraged excavations. During theirWrst occupation of Rome, the French
had mostly contented themselves with pageants and pillage. When the
French left Rome after theirWrst invasion, the Pope was again imposed as
the political leader of the city. In line with the previous Popes and, import-
antly, as a reaction against the pillage of ancient sculptures and other ancient
archaeological objects which had occurred during theWrst French occupation,
Pius VII made an attempt to protect antiquities. He created and enforced a law
prohibiting the destruction and export of ancient monuments and objects,
deWning them as public goods, and ordering that all ancient objects in private
hands and all newWnds be reported to the Inspector (Springer 1987: 75–8).
He also commissioned several excavations, including one in the Forum, and
the restoration of several ancient monuments. His aim was not only to
encourage an artistic renewal, but also to restore political autonomy and, as
Ridley (1992: 17) hints, primarily to reWll the museums of Rome which were
depleted by theWrst French invasion. The link between archaeology and
power was made clear in his oration on the occasion of the Capitoline
competitions in 1805:
His [Pius VII’s] subtle and discerning spirit has fully appreciated this important
maxim: that in Rome the arts must constitute one of the principal objects of
The French Revolution 71