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IN THIS WEEK'S LETTER
Napoleon loved the theatre. Whilst it is true that theatre was the 'television' of the age, nevertheless he did go a remarkable number of times and loved to recite the line from plays he liked. So we bring you an article on Napoleon and theatre. And to accompany this there is the marvellous "Chat noir" cabaret re-constructed by the Musée Musée d'Orsay, soon to be back on show for a week in June. There are also some new biographies and as usual the news from 200 and 150 years ago.
Enjoy.
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THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE
Napoleon and the theatre, by Peter Hicks
Theatre and spectacle were close to Napoleon's heart. In the fifteen years of Consulate and Empire he saw 374 plays. But since he saw certain works more than once - in fact the record was Cinna which he saw twelve times - he actually made a total of 682 visits to the theatre, in other words nearly once a week religiously for 15 years.
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THE 3rd EUROPEAN “MUSEUM BY NIGHT”, 19 MAY
The increadingly popular « museum by night » event (1.2 million visitors last year), presided over by the Council of Europe, is to have its third ‘night out'. A wonderful occasion on which to see museums in a ‘different light'. Each museum is preparing special events
2007 poster © Photo: Hugues Reip supported by Neuflize Vie
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THEATRE: THE NAPOLEONIC EPIC BY CARAN D'ACHE
From 12 to 19 June, the Musée d'Orsay, in collaboration with the Musée de l'Armée, is staging performances of the Cabaret du Chat noir's masterpiece: L'Epopée (The Imperial Epic), by Caran d'Ache.
For all ages, this shadow play recounting the Napoleonic epic is extraordinary and not to be missed. If you're in Paris, don't miss it!
Caran d'Ache, Mounted figure © Musée d'Orsay
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BIOGRAPHIES
We regularly put on line biographies of figures from the First and Second Empires.
Here are four of the most recent…
- MOKE PLEYEL, Marie (1811-1875), Pianist (shown here © Priv. coll.)
- PLEYEL, Joseph Ignaz (1757-1831), Composer, music publisher and piano maker
- PLEYEL, Camille (1788-1855), Composer, pianist, businessman
- VIDOCQ François-Eugène (1775-1857), Chief of the Brigade de sûreté (detective force) of the secret police
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200 YEARS AGO
Exhibition
Sketches for the Battle of Eylau competition (see Bulletin 409) were exhibited in the Musée Napoléon (or Louvre) for two weeks starting on 18 May, 1807: “There are twenty-five sketches for paintings of the Battle of Eylau […] ; a public exhibition of this sort has never attracted so many art lovers.”.
(Journal de l'Empire, 19 and 20 May, 1807)
Ceremony
The installation of the sword of Frederick the Great at the Invalides took place during a grand, solemn ceremony on 17 May, 1807. Napoleon had taken the sword when he was in Potsdam in the October of 1806.
The installation of the sword of Frederick the Great at the Invalides presented a particularly interesting ceremony. […] From the morning onwards, the Place du Carrousel and all the avenues des Tuileries were packed with people. At the time indicated on the programme, the carriages bearing the grand officers of the Empire, His Majesty's ministers, and HSH, Mgr the Prince Arch-Treasurer of the Empire, left the Imperial Tuileries Palace to the sound of artillery salvoes. Thereafter came a magnificently decorated char triomphal (triumphal chariot). It bore two-hundred and eighty standards captured during the last campaign. His Excellency, Marshal Moncey, came next, mounted, surrounded by several of his staff officers; in his hand he carried the sword and decorations of Frederick the Great. […] The church of the Invalides had been decorated with great care and taste. The throne had been placed at the highest point, at the entrance to the Dome, and covered with sumptuous fabrics. […] HSH the Prince Arch-Chancellor approached to hand the sword and decorations of Frederick the Great to the governor of the Invalides. […] » (Journal de l'Empire, 19 May, 1807)
150 YEARS AGO
Urbanism
Paris, 18 May, 1857, demolition of the Pont Saint-Michel
This Pont Saint-Michel bridge, one of Paris's oldest, had originally been built in wood in 1378, but it was to be destroyed and rebuilt several time subsequently. (Almanach Napoléon, 1858)
The 1857 replacement was to be built with great speed. This demolition, which formed part of the project to link the recently laid streets Boulevard du Palais and Boulevard Sébastopol was directed by the civil engineer Vaudrey. Builders used the latest materials – not to mention specific foundation techniques - and the bridge was ready for use in a mere five months. The sculptures decorating the bridge were by Lavigne. The imperial "N"s (for Napoleon III) were carved by Cabat and identical to those on the Pont-au-Change bridge. This version of the Pont is still standing.
Obituary
The 20th of May, 1857, saw the death of Senator Vieillard as a result of a long illness. His funeral took place on 22 May at Midday. Narcisse Vieillard has been a an artillery officer during the First Empire and had fought bravely in the Russian, German and French campaigns. After the fall of the Empire, he became tutor to Charles-Louis-Napoléon, the exiled Queen Hortense's second son and Napoleon III's elder brother. On his return to France he became a Republican député, later joining the Bonapartists. Becoming associated with Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, future Napoleon III, he was one of the first senators of the Second Empire.
Colonies
The 24th of May, 1857, saw the beginning of the French Great Kabylia Expedition.
Despite the many attempts (beginning in 1852) to colonise Great Kabylia, this region of Algeria remained a zone of resistance. The efforts of French governor general of Algeria, Randon, had been seriously hampered by lack of troops; many garrisons had been recalled to continental Europe because of the Crimean War.
On becoming marshal, Randon, set about launching new operations in May 1857 with the aim of suppressing the rebellions in the mountains of Great Kabylia. The taking of Icheridene on 24 June, 1857, marked the end of the expedition, and with it the conquest of Algeria, the territory being now “pacified”…
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, Week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, No 416, 18 – 24 May, 2007
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© 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
Re-enactments:
- Re-enactment at Pomponesco (MN) Italy
- Re-enactment of the Battle of Rivoli, 1797-2007, Rivoli, Italy
Fairs and Festivals:
- Museo Glauco-Lombardi - IX Culture Week, Parma, Italy
Conferences:
- Napoleon at the Zenith: a bi-centennial seminar, Liverpool, UK
Exhibitions:
- The Polish and the Légion d'honneur, Paris, France
- People, portraits, places and the abolition of the Slave trade, National Portrait gallery, London, UK
- Napoleon's Description de L'Egypte, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Napoleon, Trikolore und Kaiseradler über Rhein und Weser, Wesel and Minden, Germany
- "The trace of the eagle", the Invalides dome, Paris, France
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