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THIS MONTH'S PAINTING
Portrait of a man and his children, Anonymous, circa 1810.
A father sits facing the painter with his youngest son on his knee, his two older boys behind him. They all listen to the daughter of the family play the piano. Only the mother is missing - a fine porcelain tea cup on the chimney breast and letter slipped into the mirror hint at her presence. Although the painter is unknown, the quality of the work argues in favour of someone in the circle of Jacques-Louis David.
© musée du Tessé
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SALE OF A PORTRAIT BY DAVID
The auction house Piasa is to hold an auction in Paris on 13 December of an exceptional painting by David of General Claude Marie Meunier, the artist's son-in-law. The painting is one of a series of family portraits which David undertook in 1810. It is a brilliant combination of the grandeur of an official representation and the humanity of a private portrait.
© Piasa 2006
For details on the auction, click here.
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MARIE-LOUISE WEEK IN PARMA
As part of its annual celebration of Marie-Louise, the Museo Glauco Lombardi in Parma (Italy) is to present the results of restoration work on the wedding 'corbeille' which Napoleon gave to his Austrian bride on the occasion of their marriage. A 'corbeille' was, as the name suggests, a basket given to the propective bride, and it usually contained jewelry and other decorative items. The 'corbeille' which Napoleon gave to Marie-Louise was not only made by one of Paris's finest cabinet makers, it was also packed with the most sumptuous accessories. This restoration (described in a monograph) is to be presented at the beginning of Marie-Louise Week. Next year's restoration project is to be Marie-Louise's fortepiano...
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FONDATION NAPOLEON NEWS
- Report on Fondation Napoléon patronage for 2006
- A pohotofit picture of a Fondation Napoléon Research Grant winner
Full details here.
200 YEARS AGO
11 December, 1806
The King of Saxony joined the Confederation of the Rhine and the college of kings. On 15 December, the dukes of Saxe-Weimar, of Saxe-Gotha, of Saxe-Meiningen, of Saxe-Hilburghaussen, and of Saxe-Coburg also became members of the confederation (they all joined the college of princes).
See our special dossier on the Confederation of the Rhine
13 December, 1806, the future Comte Léon was born in Paris, illegitimate child of Napoleon and Caroline Murat's lectrice, Eléonore Denuelle de La Plaigne. This indication that Napoleon was actually able to produce an heir to the throne placed Josephine in a difficult position, and the idea of a divorce began to take shape...
150 YEARS AGO
At the Campo di Marte in Naples, on 8 December, 1856, the king of the Two Sicilies, Ferdinand II, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when he was reviewing his troops after mass. The assaillant was a certain Agesilao Milano, who had joined with army with false papers after having received an amnisty for having taken part in the Calabrian revolt of 1848. Milano leapt from the ranks and threw himself on the king with his bayonet. Luckily for the king, the blow but was partially hampered by the pistol sheath hanging from the royal saddle. Milano was immediately ridden down by a nearby Hussar colonel, Francesco de la Tour en Voivre, imprisoned, tried on the 12th, and summarily executed on the 13th of December. Milano was a fervent supporter of Mazzini and therefore passionately dedicated to the concept of a unified Italy. His dying words were "Viva Italia e Libertà!"
(Moniteur Universel, 12 December, 1856)
Architecture
The Moniteur Universel of 9 December, 1856 noted that: «the construction of the central part of the Halles centrales is proceeding rapidly, and it is now possible to get a precise idea this important building's elegant and monumental form. Of the six pavillons which make up the structure, five are now finished as far as external work is concerned; and the huge lantern which is to crown the last pavilion - situated in what used to be the Halle aux Draps - is being erected even as we speak… »
See our file on the Baltard Pavilion
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, No 394, 8-14 December, 2006
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 in the MAGAZINE
WHAT'S ON
Television:
- THEMA on ARTE: Napoleon and the Germans
Auctions:
Online "Ebay-type" Auction of the Weiner Napoleonic Collection
Exhibitions:
- Manet and the Execution of Maximilian, MoMA, New York, USA
- Champignon Bonaparte - illustrations by Gilles Bachelet
- Dagoty in Paris - the Empress Josephine's porcelain manufactory, Reuil-Malmaison, France
- Napoleon III and Europe - 1856, Paris, France
- Napoleon, an intimate portrait, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- Public Portraits, Private Portraits 1770-1830, Grand Palais, Paris, France
- Louis Napoleon: at the court of the first King of Holland, 1806-1810, Apeldoorn, Netherlands
Got a problem with the letter? Try the home page: http://www.napoleon.org
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