ABSTRACT
The French Revolution led to a reshaping of the concept of fraternite, as it did to those of liberte and egalite. With the rebellion against the father figure of the monarch and the hierarchical structures that supported him, a new pressure was put on 'lateral' forms of social and political organization. Yet while the Universalist view of the brotherhood disappeared from government, it was not forgotten. It remained a revolutionary ideal, re-invoked in moments of political crisis as these have recurred over the centuries. It also persisted as a dream in the illusory world of art. It is perhaps not surprising to find that the first recorded attempt to establish an artistic brotherhood in practice should have arisen in the studio of Jacques Louis David. The brotherhood that formed during the painting of The Sabines sought in effect to challenge the master whom they felt had betrayed them.
