Mass at Sea

Louis Duveau 1818 - 1867
Une messe en mer, 1793 (1864) [A Mass at Sea, 1793]
Oil on Canvas
187 H ; 350 L cm
Musée des beaux-arts, Rennes

Throughout his career , Duveau referred often to the history of Brittany in his works.

Here the scene refers to the religious fervour of the Bretons during the French Revolution.

During the period, churches in Brittany were destroyed and rendered unsafe for the celebration of the Mass.

The sombreness of the colours matches the anxious faces of the congregation.