Historical Information and Links

[Fozzie]

I noticed the mention of Flour Wars on page 138 of the hardcover, within a letter MA wrote to her mother,in the chapter Madame, My Very Dear Mother.

I hadn't heard of the Flour Wars, so I looked them up. Here is a link from which I excerpted the information:

http://www.psupress.psu.edu/books/titles/0-271-01053-3.html

"In the spring of 1775, a series of food riots shook the villages and countryside around Paris. For decades France had been free of famine, but the fall grain harvest had been meager, and the government of the newly crowned King Louis XVI had issued an untimely edict allowing the free commerce of grain within the kingdom. Prices skyrocketed, causing riots to break out in April, first in the market town of Beaumont-sur-Oise, then sweeping through the Paris Basin for the next three weeks."

[Fozzie]

Malesherbes was mentioned late in Act Two. I think he will be important in the remainder of the book, so I looked up some information on him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume-Chr%C3%A9tien_de_Lamoignon_de_Malesherbes

[Fozzie]

Here is some information of the opera Iphigenie:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphig%C3%A9nie_en_Tauride

[marcialou]

Thanks for the links, Laura. Here are highlights from the article. I thought it would be helpful to have a summary for reference as the comings of goings of political figures can be confusing.

Warning: Don't read this if you don't want to know what happens after Act II, but I don't think this historical summary would have spoiled the book for me.

1770 Malesherbes opposes Louis XV's dissolution of the Parlement (p 138) and is dismissed from office.
1775 he is recalled by the new king and parlement is reestablished
1776 he falls out of favor and retires
1792 he defends Louis XVI in his treason trial
1794 he is executed in the Reign of Terror

Marcia

Message Edited by marcialou on 08-14-2007 11:14 PM

[SenaJeterNaslu…]

The unrest represented by the Flour Wars occurred right at the beginning of the reign of Louis XVI. I included mentioning them to alert the reader of the unstable conditions under which the new king and queen came to power. Unfortunately there were more bitter winters and poor harvests. Thank you for your research.

[SenaJeterNaslu…]

Thanks, Laura, for the link. Also see the account of the execution of the entire Malesherbes family in Simon Schama's CITIZENS. It's heart-breaking. Totally unjust. They saved the old statesman for last so that he would have to witness the deaths of all the other membes of his family.

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Fozzie wrote:
Malesherbes was mentioned late in Act Two. I think he will be important in the remainder of the book, so I looked up some information on him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillaume-Chr%C3%A9tien_de_Lamoignon_de_Malesherbes

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[Fozzie]

Here are information and pictures of the home Louis gave to MA:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit_Trianon

From this article, you can also link to articles on the Princess de Lambelle and Gabrielle de Polastron, duchesse de Polignac.

Message Edited by Fozzie on 08-17-2007 05:02 PM

[Fozzie]

The fountain of Latona mentioned on page 235:

http://www.michaeltaylor.ca/Culture/herr07.shtml

[Fozzie]

The Bosquet of Enceladus fountain is fascinating! It is mentioned on page 246 of the book.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/grufnik/311743877/

[Fozzie]

On page 286, MA decides that Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun will paint her portrait. Here is a link to an article on her and pictures of some of her paintings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vig%C3%A9e-Lebrun

[Fozzie]

MA remarks on page 350, "Now since I am become a mother, twice over, and soon, I trust, to be a third time, it is Ceres with whom I identify myself."

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/ceres.html

[Fozzie]

The Botticelli painting titled Primavera is mentioned on page 351.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primavera_(Botticelli)

[Fozzie]

Here is an article on this painter mentioned on page 365.

http://www.ladyreading.net/labille-guiard/biography.html

Here is a pertinent excerpt:

"She also exhibited a sensitive portrayal maternity in the group picture of Madame Mitorire and her children (private collection, Paris), representing the granddaughter of Carle Van Loo nursing a baby, with her young son. With the accessories of the small round table, the painting formally balances the round form of the mother, the heads of the two children and the oval of the table top. Socially, the work documents a contemporary fashionable attitude about nursing promoted earlier by Rousseau."

Rousseau is mentioned again! I do wish I understood the Rousseau references. Can anyone help with this?

[Fozzie]

Here are information and pictures of Hameau mentioned on page 367.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit_hameau

[Fozzie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Lebr04.jpg

This painting reflects such sadness to me now that I know the story behind it. It is initially described on page 401. Then, on page 412, the reader learns of the alteration made to the original painting.

"...I instruct my friend to paint Sophie out of the red velvet portrait with my children. In the painting, the crib now appears to be empty. The Dauphin still points at it, as though to remind whoever might gaze at the painting of our poignant loss."

[jd]

Fozzie - your links are excellent, thanx - jd

[Fozzie]

Here is some information on the berlin that MA's family rode in during their attempted escape from Paris:

http://www.giacomo-casanova.de/catour4.htm#Berlin

Click on Four-Seater Closed Berlin.

[Fozzie]

I was looking for the portrait of MA painted by Kucharski, mentioned on page 510. I found it and lots of others on one page, so here is the link:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/1262/maria_antonietta/det3_en.html

[Fozzie]

Here is information on the Conciergerie:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conciergerie

[Fozzie]

I can see why the Sainte-Chapelle was referred to as "the jewel box" on page 516.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle