Inspired by the centuries growing radical idea and the financial conditions of the poor, the French Revolution from 1789 until 1799 saw the end of absolute monarchy in France, the terror of the guillotine, the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and a global conflict  that extended from the Caribbean to the Middle East. These headless portraits testify to the juxtaposition of ideals and brutality seen during the period. Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier (known as Antoine Lavoisier during the French Revolution; 26 August 1743 – 8 May 1794) was a French nobleman and chemist cited as one of the fathers of modern chemistry. Lavoisier is noted for his naming of oxygen (1778) and hydrogen (1783), and discoveries of the role oxygen plays in combustion. Due to his aristocratic connections Lavoisier was executed on the 8th May 1794 during the ‘Reign of Terror’ (1793–1794).