In July 1792, faced with the Austro-Prussian offensive, France is declared to be in danger and volunteers hurry to enlist.  At Valmy, they were able to block the invasion.  Under the July Monarchy, Louis-Georges Paradis paints a work on this theme that symbolises French patriotism and the rallying of the French nation, more than any other work.  He includes the scene in the décor of the colonnade of the Théâtre de l’Odéon in Paris and multiplies details in order to portray the different aspects of enlistment.