Portrait of Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac is a 1790 painting by French Neoclassical artist Jacques Louis David. This work is located in the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France.
Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac (1755–1841) was a French politician and journalist who was prominent during the French Revolution. Born into a well-off family in Tarbes, he studied law and became a lawyer in Toulouse. He gained early recognition for his eloquence and writing, which led to his election as a deputy to the Estates-General in 1789, marking the start of his political career.
Initially a moderate, Barère was part of the Girondins, advocating for constitutional monarchy. However, as the Revolution radicalized, so did Barère. By 1792, he joined the more radical Jacobins, aligning himself with the National Convention. He became a key member of the Committee of Public Safety, the governing body during the Reign of Terror.
Barère’s most notable role was as a powerful orator and propagandist. He was often called the “Anacreon of the Guillotine” for his speeches supporting the Terror, where he justified extreme measures, including mass executions, to preserve the Republic. He notably called for the execution of King Louis XVI, a decisive moment in the Revolution.
Despite his fervent support of the Terror, Barère was a pragmatist. As political tides shifted, he distanced himself from some of the more extreme Jacobins, like Robespierre, ultimately playing a part in Robespierre’s downfall in 1794.
After the fall of Robespierre, Barère himself was arrested but later released. His career fluctuated during Napoleon’s rise and the Bourbon Restoration. He remained active in politics, but his revolutionary legacy cast a long shadow. Often viewed as an opportunist, Barère’s shifting allegiances and role in the Terror made him a controversial figure in French history. He lived in relative obscurity in his later years, dying in 1841.