Murder of bishop Gaudry of Laon in Laon, 1112

This illustration by Charles-Joseph Mettais, titled “Murder of Bishop Gaudry of Laon in Laon, 1112,” depicts the killing of Bishop Gaudry of Laon, also known as Waldric, during the communal uprising of Laon in 1112. The scene shows a turbulent crowd gathered before the building while the bishop is seized and struck in the midst of the disorder, in a composition that emphasizes collective violence and the dramatic nature of the episode. The image refers to one of the most famous events in medieval communal history, when the people of Laon rose up against the abuses of episcopal power and turned against their bishop. Created circa 1860 and reproduced in Paul Lehugeur’s Histoire de France en cent tableaux, this engraving belongs to the tradition of nineteenth-century historical illustration, which sought to give spectacular visual form to major episodes of the French past.