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THIS MONTH'S OBJECT
Clock: "Diogenes looking for a man", by Claude Galle (1759-1815)
This remarkable allegorical timepiece by the bronzesmith Galle showing the Cynic philosopher Diogenes serves as a pretext for a celebration of the Emperor Napoleon I...
SPECIAL DOSSIER: BICENTENARY OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE EMPIRE
Curée's famous motion in the Tribunat, the Sénatus-consulte of 28 Floréal, An XI, a timeline, a bibliography, articles, biographies and images: discover the empire with our special dossier!
THE PARIS MINT'S CELEBRATION OF THE EMPIRE
The Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) is organising an exhibition at the Hôtel de la Monnaie, from 26 May to 25 July, 2004, entitled: Napoleon: profile of an image, profile of a communicator (in French).
The medals commissioned by the emperor to celebrate the military and civic victories of his reign, and which form what could described as «a metallic history of Napoleon the Great», were to spread throughout the courts of Europe. And this use of the medal was to be the precursor of contemporary 'spin' techniques, notably: wars of influence and manipulation and the building of the personal image of the chief.
Furthermore, in honour of the Empire bicentenary, the Paris Mint has brought out a sumptuous collector's box of 48 medals, each decorated individually with themes related to the period, personalities, battles, institutions and events. Further details on the Mint's website (in French).
200 YEARS AGO
5 Prairial, An XII (25 May, 1804), Napoleon signed a decree creating the town of Napoléon-Vendée, today called La Roche-sur-Yon.
From 20 May, 2004, and throughout the year, the town of La Roche-sur-Yon is organising divers events in celebrations of its two hundredth birthday.
5 Prairial, An XII (25 May, 1804), the trial of Cadoudal, Moreau and 43 other people opened in Paris.
150 YEARS AGO
In May, 1854, Alexandre Dumas published the first episodes of the Mohicans de Paris, in the daily which he had founded a year earlier, Le Mousquetaire.
21 May, 1854, was the date traditionally given for the foundation of a literary movement for the defense of the Langue d'Oc and its different 'dialects' (Provençal, Languedocien, Gascon, Auvergnat, Limousin). Created by the author and poet Frédéric Mistral, the movement was called the Félibrige, a word invented from the Latin term felibris or fellibris, meaning 'babe in arms' and so by extension "pupil, disciple".
26 May, 1854, the organist and composer César Franck (1822-1890) gave the inaugural concert on the new organ at the church of Saint-Eustache in Paris. Built by Ducroquet, this magnificent intrument was 18m tall and 10.5m long, comprising 8,000 pipes, 5 manuals each of 61 notes. The decoration of the casing was designed by Victor Baltard, architect for the Ville de Paris, who had also designed the high altar and the throne. The lower part of the case is ornamented with fantastic animals, chimaeras, gryphons, harpies, night bird, lizards, dolphins, and mermaids, whilst the upper part is more religious in tone with angels, cherubs, and Saint Cecilia, to one side of whom stands Saul brandishing a javelin and to the other stands David, attempting to calm the agitated Saul by playing the harp.
Build in the period 1532 to 1640, the church of Saint-Eustache has a Gothic cathedral plan allied to Renaissance decoration. It is remarkably large for a parish church (33.5m tall, 100m long and 43m wide) and one of the finest religious monuments in the French capital.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week!
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
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THIS WEEK:
Just published
Louis Napoleon and Strasbourg, by Shirley J. Black
What's on
- Commemoration: Ligny 2004
- Anniversary: Crimean War, in Santena (Italy)
- Exhibition: Napoleon. The Sacre, at the Musée Fesch, Ajaccio
- Exhibition: Jean-Baptiste Wicar: portraits of the Bonaparte family
- Exhibition: Napoleon and the sea, a dream of Empire, Paris
- Exhibition: Napoleon and the Jouy Cloth
The monthly titles
- This month's book: The Amiens Truce: Britain and Bonaparte 1801-1803, by John D. Grainger
- This month's painting: The execution of the Duc d'Enghien, Jean-Paul Laurens
- This month's article: The proclamation of Empire by the Sénat Conservateur, by Thierry Lentz
- In the Collectors Corner, Clock: "Diogenes looking for a man", de Claude Galle (1759-1815)
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