Marie Tussaud: The French Revolution

The French Revolution was a time of violence, chaos, and war. Through it all, one machine of destruction brought fear to almost every human being in France: the guillotine. Despite the bloodshed brought about by this large contraption, there is one person in particular whom the guillotine benefitted by supplying her with limitless heads and bodies. By using these severed body parts, Marie Tussaud created molds of the bodies of those taken by the relentless guillotine and put them on display in her personal wax museum. By recreating the bodies of famous leaders killed through the French Revolution, Marie allowed the public to get a close-up and personal view into the lives of those who were otherwise too famous or too wealthy to be a part of …show more content…
Marie eventually married, had children, moved to London along with her museum, and died, but her art and their influence on society remained. Through the years, many flocked to her wax museums to catch a glimpse of the perpetrators of the French Revolution, the family of the former monarchs of France, or the life-like replicas of those who took a stand for their country. Marie Tussaud’s vision spread as her family opened more museums throughout Europe, America, and Asia (“Our History”). They continue, to this day, to create and display models of famous celebrities and political figures, offering visitors a chance to truly take in the essence of those whom they would never be able to get close to in person. Figures in Madame Tussaud’s are modeled to be as life-like as possible and appear as if they could blink and start breathing as if they were the person whom they were modeled after. Even the figures in the “Chamber of Horrors,” created during the French Revolution, appeared as though their heads were taken straight from the guillotine. Marie’s work to this day continues to offer its visitors a unique, gruesome, and thrilling way to visit influential figures from the past and