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IRENE DELAGE, AUTHORESS
Readers of this bulletin are well aware and appreciative of Irène Delage, head of our web operations. She has just published her first book. It's called "Napoléon Bonaparte", it's in French, and it's published by Louvre-Hachette. Available in all good bookshops since Wednesday, the book can be had for a very reasonable price. And although it may be destined for a younger audience, it can be read with profit by all ages. Details here.
THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE
Autograph Bonaparte letters at the Universities of Princeton (USA) and Vilnius (Lithuania). A tale of Napoleonic forgeries? by Peter Hicks,
In a remarkable letter held in both Vlinius and Princeton, the exhausted general-in-chief of the Army of Italy, Bonaparte, demands support for his request for leave from the army and asks for a place in France to be prepared for him where he could rest. In the postscript, he damns all women (particularly his own wife). Is it a forgery. Click here to find out...
The first volume of the Correspondance générale de Napoléon, "Les apprentissages", will be on sale in bookshops from 13 October. Here are a few statistics: 1469 pages, 2283 letters (623 of which were not published in either the Second Empire correspondence, Brotonne; Lecestre, or Tulard..., in other words, 623 letters, either previously completely unknown or largely inaccessible to the general public, to say nothing of the corrected versions of letters already published), 48 euros. The event of the century!
GET A PREVIEW OF "THE TREASURES OF THE FONDATION NAPOLEON"...
Join the scenographer Michel Albertini, man of the theatre and cinema, in a voyage of discovery of the Fondation's exhibition which soon to open at the Musée Jacquemart-André.
200 YEARS AGO
On the first complementary day of An XII (18 September, 1804), the Salon des arts opened in Paris: Gros's painting, Bonaparte général en chef de l'armée d'Orient, visitant l'hôpital des pestiférés de Jaffa (Bonaparte General in Chief of the Armée d'Orient, visiting the hospital in Jaffa and its plague victims), was the object of much public attention. The painting was supposed to provide a riposte to the British propaganda which accused Bonaparte of having cynically abandoning plague victims and leaving them to die. Gros's composition shows a courageous General in Chief talking with plague victims, even touching some, whilst a queasy Berthier is portrayed (much to his annoyance) covering his nose and mouth with his handkerchief. Furthermore, with only a few months to go until Napoleon's coronation, the painting evokes the power of kings to heal scrofula simply by touch.
On the second complementary day of an XII (19 September, 1804), the Moniteur Universel newspaper reported that, on that morning « a large group of pupils and artists went to the salon and placed a wreath over the work ».
150 YEARS AGO
Victory at Alma, 20 September, 1854
After disembarking at Eupatoria, 14 September, the allied forces (30,000 French, 26,000 British (including 1,000 cavalrymen) and 7,000 Turks) headed for Sebastopol. On 20 September, on the banks of the river Alma, they overcame the Russian army (39,000 strong) commanded by General Menchikov during a battle in which the French forces led by Maréchal de Saint-Arnaud, excelled themselves - Prince Napoléon led the 3rd Corps. The Russians then organised a retreat towards Sebastopol and its fortifications.
In commemoration of this victory, a "Pont de l'Alma" (Alma Bridge) was created over the Seine 1856 - the 4 statues decorating the bridge's piles (clearly visible to anyone who has taken a Bateau-Mouche on the Seine in Paris) represent the four army corps present at the battle: Chasseur, Artilleur, Grenadier, Zouave.
Also on 20 September, certain Russian vessels were scuppered in the bay outside Sebastopol, in an attempt to block access to the port.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week!
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
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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THIS WEEK:
Snippets
- One hundred years and 10,000 contributors later, the new DNB
Just published
Nelson, Volume 1, Dream of Glory, by John Sugden
What's on
- Exhibition: The Treasures of the Fondation Napoléon, Paris
- Conference: International Conference: Visions of Napoleon's European politique
- Study Days: Napoleon and Rome, Rome
- Theatre: The Emperor's last battle
- Exhibition: Images of the coronation of the Emperor Napoleon
- Conference: Napoleonic Association, Annual conference, UK
- Exhibition: Was für ein Theater, Krönungen & Spektakel in napoleonischer Zeit
(What a show! Coronations and pomp in the Napoleonic period), Château d'Arenenberg, Switzerland
- Exhibition: Giovanni Spadolini's passion for Napoleon: a tale of history, politics and culture, Elba, Italy
- Exhibition: Napoleon. The Sacre, at the Musée Fesch, Ajaccio
The monthly titles
- This month's book: Fighting Napoleon: Guerillas, Bandits and Adventurers in Spain 1808-1814, by Charles J. Esdaile
- This month's painting: General Bonaparte and his chief of staff, general Berthier, at the Battle of Marengo, by Robert Lefevre, Carle Vernet and Joseph Boze
- This month's article: Autograph Bonaparte letters at the Universities of Princeton (USA) and Vilnius (Lithuania). A tale of Napoleonic forgeries?, by Peter Hicks
- In the Collectors Corner, Dessert plate from the «Service particulier de l'Empereur»: "Le prytanée de Saint-Cyr" by N.-A. Lebel
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