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This week's letter is packed full of interesting content. Canova's bust of Napoleon I as a Roman Emperor from the Museo Glauco Lombardi in Parma (Italy) is our first highlight. If you're near Melbourne (Australia), why not pop in to the National Gallery of Victoria to pay your respects and see all the other wonderful exhibits - it's closing soon, so don't hang about... Then in the current bicentenary period of the Peninsular War, why not have a look at Marc Gerstein's fascinating article on French medals celebrating the French side of that campaign published in our web review, Napoleonica La Revue? Alongside that we bring you news of developments to the Fondation Napoléon's library catalogue, which it must be said resembles ever more and more a database of all things Napoleonic. The beautiful mosaic dog decorating the box, next on offer, was supposedly found on Rostopchin's desk, Rostopchin the governor of the Moscow who organised the burning of the city two hundred years ago. Then there's Queen Victoria's trips to the seaside, a fascinating three-day study event in Madrid and the launch of a Murat itinerary in the Abruzzi. '200 years ago' brings you French Police reports of Swedish King Bernadotte's guilty conscience and '150 years ago' centres on Napoleon III's attempt to get the Mexican campaign back on track. And on the right-hand side, there's news of two articles, one on the War of 1812 - a war of crucial import to the running of the Peninsular War - and another on the perennial subject of the French/British love-hate relationship, this time related to the battle of Agincourt. We hope that you might find some of the items we have selected for you in 'Seen on the web' interesting too... Enjoy!
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OBJET D'ART OF THE MONTH
Bust of Napoleon, by Canova
This plaster bust is one of a series of portraits produced by Canova between 1802 and 1822, each with varying degrees of success. It is held at the Museo Glauco Lombardi in Parma (Italy) and shows Napoleon in the idealised form of a Roman emperor. The work is currently on show at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, as part of the exhibition, Napoleon. Revolution to Empire, which closes on 7 October, 2012.
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FONDATION NAPOLEON
Napoleonica La Revue
In this bicentenary period coinciding with an upturn in French fortunes during the beginning of the failure of Wellington's catastrophic and costly siege of Burgos, why not re-read Marc Gerstein's fascinating article on French numismatic propaganda during the Peninsular Campaign, "‘Nous avons des outrages à venger' : Napoleonic Medals of the War in Spain"
The Library catalogue database now has some fantastic new features, namely news news cuttings & video links:
For example, on keyword searching "Lowe Times" you can read the full period text of a quite lavish and anonymous affidavit in praise of Hudson Lowe on St Helena (click on "Texte intégrale enligne").
And if you search author "Dunan" and keyword "Ajaccio", you can access a short video extract of the French television news for 1969 from the French audiovisual museum l'INA. Enjoy!
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NAPOLEON.ORG
Rostopchin Box
Tradition has it that this box decorated with a micromosaic representing a sitting dog was found after the fire of Moscow in 1812 on the desk of the governor of the city, Fyodor Rostopchin (1765-1826).
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Napoleonic Events worldwide
Isle of Wight, United Kingdom
Queen Victoria's Beach now open
Queen Victoria's private beach on the Isle of Wight (UK) is now for the first time open to the public. "We have quite a charming beach to ourselves," Victoria wrote in 1845 and it was here that the Queen regularly bathed and where her children learned to swim. Whilst in the summer visitors can enjoy traditional seaside entertainment including Punch and Judy, in the other seasons it's perhaps best just to sit in the 'Alcove', built specially for viewing the sea, or visit the fantastic bathing machine...
Spain, Madrid
In Madrid at the beginning of October, three study days will consider Ferdinand VII's Constitution of 1812' and the writing of history in Spain in the nineteenth century. One specific talk will be on King Joseph's bibliophily.
Italy, Rome
Abruzzi Murat Itinerary
On Friday 5 October, at the Museo Napoleonico in Rome, the Centro Romano di Studi Napoleonici, the Souvenir Napoléonien (Rome delegation), the Italian environmental league (Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI)) and the communes of the towns of Antrodoco, San Vito Chietino, Lanciano, Ateleta and Pettorano sul Gizio will present the Abruzzo Murat Itinerary with the aim of publicising the itinerary and its connections with Joachin Murat, King of Naples (1808-1815).
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200 YEARS AGO
The Treaties of Orebro
As Napoleon and his army marched deeper and deeper into the Russian heartland, communication lines became stretched and the possibility of being caught from behind became a serious concern. On 4 October, 1812, details of the Anglo-Swedish treaty - signed earlier that summer on 18 July, 1812 and part of a growing "Northern Coalition" against the French empire - emerged in the French press, noting ominously that:
“They say that Sweden has momentarily commandeered a good number vessels so as to use them as troop transports for a landing against the French."
The very same day of the Anglo-Swedish treaty, Russia had also signed an accord with Britain (the original draught document can be viewed here): a concerted European strategy was beginning to form against Napoleon. Six weeks later, on 30 August, 1812, a second convention was agreed by Bernadotte and Alexander I (following the agreement made in St Petersburg in April 1812), this time in Åbo (modern-day Turku) in the presence of the British Minister. Alexander increased the number of troops he had promised to the Swedish crown prince, from 25,000 to 35,000, with the goal of moving against Denmark. Sweden also received a loan from Russia which would enable it to begin military operations. Napoleon's capture of Smolensk and the army's advance through Russia compelled Alexander to push for Swedish intervention in Germany: unsurprisingly, Bernadotte remained reluctant to meet French troops on the battlefield unless offered no other choice.
Indeed, Napoleon's secret police reports dated 30 September, 1812 suggest that despite Charles John's efforts to remain neutral in his relations with France, the thought of war with Napoleon was destroying him:
"In public, he appears calm. But inside, remorse appears to be devouring him. At nuit, he is seized by panic attacks, causing him a great deal of turmoil. We are assured that he speaks often to M. Camps, his milk-brother, saying: "They wanted it. They are pushing me to the edge. I shall be forced to pull my sword on my compatriots!"
See bulletin n° 621
150 YEARS AGO
Update on Mexican affairs
Napoleon III's Mexican campaign had been beset by the collapse of the tripartite treaty, disagreements amongst his commanders, outbreaks of yellow fever amongst the troops, and failure to capture the city of Puebla (see bulletin n° 625). Having conveyed his displeasure regarding how the campaign was progressing in July, the Comte de Lorencez, French commander in chief in Mexico, requested leave to return to France. On 1 October, 1862, the Moniteur Universel offered a report on the departure of new troops for Mexico as the French emperor sought to take control of the conflict. Over the course of the summer, French forces on the ground would be increased to about 39,000 troops, with General Forey - Napoleon III's newly-appointed commander - arriving in Veracruz at the head of 9,000 men and 900 horses on 24 September, 1862.
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks
Historian and web-editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 638, 28 SEPTEMBER - 4 OCTOBER, 2012
Interested in the work of the Fondation Napoléon? Why not participate, either generally or in a specific project, by making a donation?
© This Napoleon.org weekly bulletin is published by the Fondation Napoléon. Reproduction or all or part of this bulletin is forbidden, without prior agreement of the Fondation Napoléon.
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OPERATION ST HELENA
The Fondation Napoléon and the Souvenir Napoléonien, in association with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have announced an international fund-raising campaign to restore and save Napoleon I's residence on the island of St Helena. All the details regarding the campaign as well as donation forms and advice for donating from outside France, can be found on napoleon.org.
FONDATION NAPOLEON ON THE WEB
Each week we offer you a "mystery link" to somewhere on napoleon.org. Click on the link to discover a part of the website you might not have visited before...
MAGAZINE
Press review
- History Today "The War of 1812", by Jeremy Black
- History Today "Attitudes to Agincourt" by Stephen Cooper
Seen on the web (external links)
- Battlefield Detectives - Massacre at Waterloo
- Save Hougoumont
- Young historians' podcast competition
- About.com European History Special on the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
EVENTS
On now and coming up
A selection of events taking place now or in the coming weeks, taken from our What's on listings.
Exhibitions
- "Napoleon: Revolution to Empire", Melbourne, Australia [02/06/2012 - 07/10/2012]
Full details
Study days
- The Constitution of 1812 and Spanish bibliographical heritage in the 19th century, Madrid, Spain [08/10/2012 - 10/10/2012]
Full details
Other events
- Abruzzo Murat Itinerary, [05/10/2012]
Full details
NAPOLEON.ORG
The best of the month:
- Book of the month
- Painting of the month
- Objet d'Art of the month
- Article of the month
NAPOLEONICA.LA REVUE
Available free on Cairn.info
NAPOLEONICA ARCHIVES ONLINE
Napoleonica is currently offline because of maintenance. Please accept our apologies for the interruption.
THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
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The library will be closed for renovation from 4 June until the autumn.
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