- Tour: 18th- and 19th-Century France -- Neoclassicism Overview back to gallery The French Revolution began in 1789, when citizens stormed the Bastille prison in Paris. Within a few years, France had adopted and overthrown several constitutions and executed its former king. It found itself at war with most of the Continent and endured horrible violence at home during the Reign of Terror. Finally, ...www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg56/gg56-over1.html