Marie Durand Paintings

Marie Durand was not an artist in the conventional sense of painters or sculptors, but she is a historical figure of significant importance due to her steadfast resistance to religious persecution. Born on April 15, 1711, in Bouchet de Pranles, in the Vivarais region of France, Durand was a French Protestant during a time when the practice of Protestantism was illegal in France under the reign of Louis XIV, following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes with the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685.

Marie Durand's name became synonymous with religious resistance due to her long imprisonment. At the age of 15, she was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of Constance, Aigues-Mortes, because she refused to abjure her Protestant faith. Her brother, Pierre Durand, was a Protestant minister who was executed for his faith in 1732. Despite the harsh conditions of her confinement, which lasted 38 years, Durand became a symbol of courage and resilience. She is often remembered for inscribing the word 'Resist' on the wall of the tower, which became a rallying cry for the Protestant resistance movement.

Throughout her incarceration, Durand maintained her faith and helped to sustain the spirits of her fellow prisoners. She was finally released in 1768, after a long campaign for the release of the remaining Huguenot prisoners was initiated by influential figures, including Voltaire. After her release, she lived the remainder of her life in relative obscurity and died on April 28, 1776. Marie Durand's legacy lives on as a testament to the power of individual conviction and the struggle for religious freedom. Her story is an integral part of the history of the Huguenots, the French Protestants who faced severe persecution for their beliefs.