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THIS MONTH'S PAINTING
Madame Tallien, by the Baron Gérard (1770-1837)
More than any other period in the history of France, that of the Directory paved the way for certain emblematic women to make their mark and almost to become symbols of the renewed vigor of social life after the torments of the Revolution and particularly the Terreur. and the painter Gérard immortalised the most famous of them, namely, Josephine, the wife of the young General Bonaparte, Laure de Bonneuil - Madame Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angely -, Madame Récamier, and of course Madame Tallien, shown here, painted in 1804.
THE BIBLIOTHEQUE M.LAPEYRE-FONDATION NAPOLEON
Exceptionally, normal opening hours for the library will be changed next week. On Tuesday, 15th March, instead of the usual 4-9pm, the library will be open from 1-6pm. On Wednesday 16th, the library will only be open from 3-6pm (instead of the usual 1-6pm).
For further details concerning the library, the collection, and reader services, contact us on ++33 (0)1 56 43 46 06 or via email.
200 YEARS AGO
'E'-day training
On 20 Ventôse, An XIII (11 March, 1805), Napoleon wrote to his Navy Minister (Ministre de la Marine), Vice Admiral Decrès: "Monsieur Decrès, the Boulogne flotilla is made up of eight small squadrons, each small squadron comprising two divisions of péniches or flat-bottomed transports - 36 péniches in all - carrying 2,400 men. I wish them to perform exercises when the weather is good, establishing a system of signals for disembarking, for reaching the shore together, for beginning firing with mortars or 4-pounders loaded with shrapnel, and to have a division of cannon-sloops behind to protect them. You must above all get them used to obeying the signals required for agreement in the disembarkation, and be able to say to one division of péniches that they should disembark at a certain distance, to the left or the right of a specific point; get the commanders of the péniches used to recognising the signals and to obeying them promptly."
Crime in Paris
From his office in Malmaison, the Emperor wrote to Fouché on 25 Ventôse, An XIII (16 March, 1805) informing him of his concern: "There are more robberies and acts of brigandage in Paris than usual; and the weather is not particularly bad. I would like you, with the Prefect of Police, to get to the bottom of these disorders and to try to find suitable solutions."
Napoleon, King of Italy
On 26 Ventôse, An XIII (17 March, 1805), during an audience at the Tuileries Palace, Melzi acted as spokesman for the Consulta Italiana, itself also present, offering the crown of the Kingdom of Italy to Napoleon I. It was planned for the following day that the emperor would solemnly declare to the Senate that he accepted this crown: "His Majesty will leave his palace at two o'clock. An artillery salvo will announce his departure. The cortege will pass by the Carrousel, the Quai du Louvre, the Pont-Neuf, the Rue de Thionville, the Rue des Fossés-Saint-Bernard, the Rue des Quatre-Vents and the Rue de Tournon. It will be composed in the manner usual for this sort of solemnity. The members of the authorities and the colleges of the Italian Republic will form part of the cortege, as will Monsieur the Vice President [Melzi], and Monsieur Marescalchi, Minister for Foreign Relations."
Journal des Débats, 27 Ventôse, An XIII
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week!
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
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THIS WEEK
Snippets
Obituary: Ron Tinlin, President of the Napoleonic Society of America
Press review
- French History, volume 18, number 4, December 2004
Coronation Commemoration Special Edition, edited by Philip G. Dwyer
- The Member's Bulletin of the Napoleonic Society of America, Bulletin 78, Fall/Winter 2004–5
Just published
Madame de Stael, by Maria Fairweather
What's on
- For Napoleonic and Nelsonian 2005 bicentenaries, watch our 2005 bicentenaries page
- Exhibition: The man who crowned Napoleon: Cardinal Caprara and his liturgical robes, Museo Civico d'Arte Industriale e Galleria Davia Bargellini, Bologna, Italy
- Talks: 'Nelson's Contemporaries', National Maritime Museum, London, UK
- Fair: The International Napoleonic Fair, St Albans, UK
- Exhibition: Decoration in the Age of Napoleon: Empire Elegance Versus Regency Refinement, New York Public Library, US
Exhibition: The Treasures of the Fondation Napoléon, Paris, France
The monthly titles
- This month's book: William Pitt the Younger: a biography, by William Hague
- This month's painting: Madame Tallien, by the Baron Gérard
- This month's article: British Strategic Foreign policy, 1806-1815, by Peter Hicks
- In the Collectors Corner, Complete works of Monsieur Arnault (3 volumes, bearing Napoleon's great coat of arms)
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