Les Femmes de la Revolution

The French Revolution has been a recurring theme in Hamilton Finlays work and here he conjures a dinner party where the guests are the female protagonists and heroines of the Revolution. The plates have the guests' names and a wild flower painted on them. The elegant place settings initially evoke an image of a convivial party. However most of these women met violent deaths, thus the dinner party becomes a last supper. This duality, the contrast of light and dark, is central to Hamilton Finlay's work.