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THIS WEEK IN THE BULLETIN
Firstly we bring you the sad news of the sudden death of Jacques Logie, the Belgian historian of Waterloo. The Fondation Napoléon offers its sincerest condolences.
After this you can read about the 'monarchisation' of the 'Revolutionary' Consulate in our article of the month. Then, if you're in Liguria or Tuscany, why not nip down to Sarzana to enjoy the 2007 Napoleon Festival there. Then of course there's the usual snapshot of life during the two empires. Two hundred years ago there was a touching orchestral improvisation for the emperor, the finishing of the masonry part of the Vendôme column, and a 'greek' outfit for the rain. And 150 years ago there was a terrible shipwreck, the death of the French literary critic Gustave Planche and the first French diplomatic manoeuvrings to isolate Austria and to prepare for the liberation (and eventual unification) of Italy. In the Magazine we bring you the results of the Canino Lucian Bonaparte awards, three new books and the usual events. Enjoy!
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OBITUARY - JACQUES LOGIE
Jaques Logie died on 4 September at the aged of 69. He was one of Belgium's greatest francophone specialists on the battle of Waterloo. He had a degree in law and had a career as a magistrate before becoming president of the provincial commission for the protection of Walloon Brabant's monuments and sites. On retirement he studied at the Sorbonne and received a doctorate on magistrates, courts and tribunals in Belgium 1794-1814, later published by Droz in 1998. He later became very interested in the battlefield site at Waterloo and worked hard for its redevelopment as a historical site. His last article appeared in the special edition of on Waterloo published by the Magazine Napoléon 1er, published in June 2007.
For a bibliography of his works on Napoleon, click here.
(c) Photo René Breny
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THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE
Napoleon and his court, by Peter Hicks
The coup d'état of 18 Brumaire was a watershed. ‘The Revolution is ended' trumpeted proudly the proclamation accompanying the great Constitution of An VIII, which was to form the bedrock of the new regime right up to 1814. As we know with hindsight, this bold military-backed move was a huge success. However, with the change in polity Napoleon found the society around him unprepared for the appearance of strong single figure in power. He found himself at the top alone, without infrastructure other than military and to a certain extent cut off from the notables in society. So he looked to the past to create for himself a court and an etiquette befitting the leader of France's new consular era.
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SARZANA NAPOLEON FESTIVAL
On 27 - 30 September, 2007, the town of Sarzana (in Liguria (Italy), the ancient birthplace of the Bonaparte clan) is organising a Napoleonic festival, including films, re-enactments, antiques sales, a Napoleonic ball and Napoleonic gastronomy. In short, it's a banquet of Napoleonica. Enjoy.
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200 YEARS AGO
On 20 September, 1807, the Emperor went to the Opéra comique in Paris and saw the opera/ballet Aline, Reine de Golconde, text by Michel-Jean Sedaine and music by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny (first performed in 1766) (online here) and the opera L'intrigue aux fenêtres by the composer Nicholas Isouard (1805). The Journal de l'Empire (22 September, 1807) reported that “on His Majesty's arrival, the orchestra played, to loud applause, the air, Où peut-on être mieux qu'au sein de sa famille ?” (‘There no place better than at home with your family').
On 21 September, 1807, Napoleon left for Fontainebleau, staying there until 16 November, the date on which he left for Italy.
Paris
On 24 September, 1807, the Journal de l'Empire (25 September, 1807) announced that the masonry work on the Vendôme column (sic) was finished.
Fashion
The Journal de Paris (1 October, 1807) gave the following fashion advice: “What should a pretty women wear when the weather's awful? She should wear a black hat, black slipper shoes, a black cashmere shawl, amaranth ribbons, an amaranth belt and amaranth feathers. The effect is one of an ‘Opera Fury'.”
150 YEARS AGO
On 22 or 23 September, 1857, during a terrible storm in the Gulf of Finland, the Russian ship Leffort sank with the loss of 1,500 lives (English language sources, however, give 826 lives). (Almanach Napoléon, 1859)
25 September, 1857, saw the death of the French literary critic Gustave Planche (Almanach Napoléon, 1859), famed for crossing swords with Victor Hugo.
Planche was born in Paris on 16 February, 1808, and studied medicine before turning to literary and art criticism. He soon excelled in this domain and wrote for Globe, l'Artiste and the Revue des deux Mondes, always as a fierce opponent of the Romantic movement. On the critic's death Victor Hugo famously noted: "They tell me that Gustave Planche is dead. I have lost an enemy. I think I can bear the loss".
On 26 September, 1857, Napoleon III met Tsar Alexander II, the enemy he had beaten during the Crimean War, in Stuttgart (Almanach Napoléon, 1859) while visiting Wilhem I of Wurttemburg. This second meeting with Russia (the first had taken place in France in the spring of the same year) was to mark the beginning of thaw in Franco-Russian relations. Russia was to declare herself an ally with France (against Austria) in any future conflict over Italy.
Wishing you an excellent, Napoleonic, week.
Peter Hicks
Historian and Web editor
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, No 426, 21-27 September, 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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Got a problem with a link in the Bulletin? Go to the homepage: http://www.napoleon.org
FONDATION NAPOLEON RESEARCH GRANTS - LAST CHANCE
To all students thinking of applying for a research grant, don't forget that your completed dossier (forms are available here on the site) have to be returned to us by 30 September!
NOTA BENE
The second floor of the Musée Malmaison will be closed from 17 September so as to allow for the installation of the forthcoming exhibition, "Indispensables nécessaires", which opens on 24 October.
THIS WEEK in the MAGAZINE
SNIPPETS
The 3rd Lucian Bonaparte awards, Canino 2007
JUST PUBLISHED
- WILLIAMS, Kate - England's Mistress: The infamous life of Emma Hamilton
- MCGRIGOR, Mary - Wellington's Spies
- HILLIARD-ATTERIDGE, A. - Napoleon's Brothers
WHAT'S ON
Conferences:
- Napoleon Historical Society, Annual Conference, Chicago, USA
- Napoleonic Association Autumn Conference, London, UK
Exhibitions:
- Empress Josephine's Malmaison Collection, Somerset House, London, UK
- 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
- Napoleon's Description de L'Egypte, Dallas, Texas, USA
- "The trace of the eagle", the Invalides dome, Paris, France
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