| |
| |
THIS WEEK'S BULLETIN
This week's bulletin begins on a sad note, namely the death of an illustrious French WWII hero and eminent Napoleonic military historian, Colonel Paul Willing. His scholarship and gentlemanly qualities will greatly missed by the Napoleonic world and all those who knew him. We offer our condolences to his family and friends. After that comes Meissonnier's remarkable statuette of a traveller battling against the elements, a startling evocation of the retreat from Russia. Then there are two new exhibitions, one in London and the other in Switzerland. The section '200 Hundred Years Ago' this week has the remarkably detailed (and previously unpublished) eyewitness account of the goings on in Tilsit during the negotiations, including the building of the famous raft. In the Magazine there is the story of the Belgian contretemps over Napoleon's furniture, then the contents of the recent number of First Empire, and then finally photos of the recent re-enactment at Waterloo and news of re-enactments in northern Italy.
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
OBITUARY: COLONEL PAUL WILLING
It was with surprise that we learned that Colonel Paul Willing, ex-curator of the Musée de l'Armée, had died on 13 June.
Paul Willing was born in The Hague (Netherlands) on 1 November, 1921, and he had a distinguished military career for which he was decorated very many times both in France (Croix de guerre TOE, Croix de la Valeur militaire and the Légion d'Honneur) and abroad…
Later on (1962) he became President General de Gaulle's Chef de cabinet à l'Etat-major particulier. In 1978, he became curator of the Musée de l'Armée, a post which was to occupy until 1986. He was also honorary vice-president of the French military history association, the La Sabretache, honorary member of the Board of Trustees of Société des Amis du Musée de l'Armée and with particular reference to the Fondation Napoléon, he was a member of the jury for the History Grands Prix.
He was also author of many books on both Empires, notably: L'Armée de Napoléon III, PREAL, 1983; Napoléon et ses soldats: l'apogée de la gloire 1804-1809, PREAL 1986 and Napoléon et ses soldats: de Wagram à Waterloo 1809-1815, PREAL, 1987.
His requiem will take place on Tuesday 26 June in Saint-Louis des Invalides (Paris), at 11am.
Colonel Paul Willing, 2 October 2006 (rights Moné).
For a full obituary (in French) click here.
|
|
|
| |
THIS MONTH'S OBJECT
The Traveller, by Ernest Meissonier
Meissonier was one of Napoleon III's favourite painters and was to be adulated right to the end of his life for the almost photographic realism of his small genre works and his military paintings. Whilst it is not entirely clear quite what this statuette represents, it would appear however to be part of Meissonnier's preparation for his cycle of pictures on Napoleonic subjects...
© Fondation Napoléon
|
|
|
| |
EXHIBITION: EMPRESS JOSEPHINE'S MALMAISON COLLECTION
France in Russia: Empress Josephine's Malmaison Collection, on view at the Hermitage Rooms, celebrates one of France's greatest heroines, Napoleon's consort Josephine (1763-1814).
The Hermitage Rooms at Somerset House in London (UK) offer visitors an introduction to Russia's premier museum, The State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.
(c) Hermitage Room at Somerset House
|
|
|
| |
EXHIBITION: NINE HUNDRED YEARS OF MINIATURES AT THE CHATEAU D'ARENENBERG
In the nine hundred years from the millennium to 1900, the miniature had a chequered career. During the medieval period it was widely used in the decoration of manuscripts. But with the invention of printing this practice died out, and miniatures became small paintings, the preferred medium for souvenirs, gifts for diplomatic purposes, a practice particularly favoured by Napoleon...
© Château d'Arenenberg, Switzerland
|
|
|
| |
200 YEARS AGO
Alexander I and Napoleon's summit on the river Tilsit
(Extracts from the previously unpublished journal of Ernst Ludwig Siehr, Councillor of the Commission of Justice in Tilsit, for the period June-July 1807, published in the brochure 200 years treaty of Tilsit, ed. Bartheldruck, Arnstadt, 2007)
"Starting on 21 June [1807], beams were brought for the building of a pontoon bridge. At the same time, the members of the deputation began negotiating an armistice. The negotiations lasted until 23 June when Marshal Duroc gave Alexander an ultimatum, and the armistice was agreed with Russia on 24 June. At 9pm on the same day, the order was given to build two floating ‘houses' for the meeting of the two sovereigns, which was supposed to take place in the centre of the river Neman. 150 French carpenters immediately started work on the ‘houses' and the first was finished and floated by midday on 25 June. [According to other eyewitnesses, the ‘maisonette' was exceedingly well furnished and included a large finely decorated ‘salon' with two facing doors, beyond which stood two antechambers. The walls were covered with garlands of flowers and foliage, and on the roof were two weathercocks, one with a Russian eagle and the other with a French eagle.] This ‘house' was anchored in the middle of the river near the old bridge. The second ‘house' was not yet completed. At half-past midday, Napoleon, accompanied by his marshals and 100 guards, reached the river bank and got into a small boat. The Russian guard formed up on the opposite bank. At a signal given by the Russian trumpets the two boats set off simultaneously and arrived both at the same time, Napoleon on the south side and Alexander on the north. They embraced and entered the ‘house'. The conversation lasted three-quarters of an hour and they then returned in the same order as before. […]
On 26 June, the order was given to clear half of the town for the Russians. Alexander moved into his old quarters in Hinz's house, and from there along a north/south dividing line the French evacuated their quarters several regiments even left the town. [...]
At half-past midday, they went out to the ‘houses' again – they had been been completed and decorated with foliage, in exactly the same order as on the previous day, but with the difference that the Czar Alexander came with the King [of Prussia]. The conversation lasted an hour and a half and they returned in exactly the same order as before. […] At five o'clock, here and in the surroundings, 8000 French guards formed up in Deutsche Strasse with an excellent military band, the cavalry on the north side and the infantry to the south. The line stretched from the Deutsche Tor to the church. Napoleon inspected his troops until the he heard the 40 cannon blasts announcing that Alexander was crossing the river. Napoleon then rode with his entourage to the Russian lines and received Alexander, let him ride on his right-hand side, and brought him to his quarters. The King was not there. The Guards paraded in front of the house and offered an amazing show; I have seen nothing more beautiful. At 6 o'clock they went to dinner. The two emperors, the Grand Duke Constantin and Prince Murat ate alone on the piano nobile. The rest of the marshals and generals ate on the second floor. At 10 o'clock in the evening, Alexander rode back to his quarters. […]
On 27 June, the two emperors manoeuvred the French guards for more than two hours, and very regular shots could be heard. At dinner, in other words at about 6pm, Alexander and Constantin ate once again at Napoleon's quarters. It was hoped that the King would also eat there, but that did not happen."
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, Week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, No 421, 22 - 28, 2007
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Got a problem with a link in the Bulletin? Go to the homepage: http://www.napoleon.org
THIS WEEK in the MAGAZINE
Snippets
- Belgian Prince in Napoleonic furniture brouhaha
Press Review
First Empire, July August 2007
Seen on the web
Photos of the imperial weekend of the 9th Waterloo Bivouac. It took place on 16 and 17 June and included more than 1,200 re-enactors, from more than 12 different countries...
WHAT'S ON
Re-enactments and commemorations
- Re-enactments and commemorations in northern Italy
Auction
- Christie's sale 7411: Napoleon and Josephine autographs from the Albin Schram collection, London, UK
Exhibitions
- Nine hundred years of miniatures at the Château d'Arenenberg, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland
- Symbols of Power: Napoleon and the Art of the Empire Style, 1800-1815, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Cardinal Fesch and the art of his time: Fragonard, Marguerite Gérard, Jacques Sablet, Louis-Léopold Boilly…, Ajaccio, Corsica
- 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
<<
|
|
