Tag Archives: French Revolution

Glorious Years!

Glorious Years: French Calendars from Louis XIV to the Revolution, Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, Near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Wed-Sun – until 29th October 2017

P Thévenard, Almanac Titled ‘France thanks the sky for the Dauphin’s healthy recovery’, 1753.
Photo Mike Fear © National Trust, Waddesdon Manor

It is fortunate for later generations that Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839-1898) not only collected 18th century French furniture and porcelain but also had an interest in social history of the period too, accumulating trade cards, lottery tickets and other ephemera such as the calendars that form the focus of this very special exhibition.

Almanac Titled ‘Conquest of the island of Grenada from the English’, 1780.
Photo Mike Fear © National Trust, Waddesdon Manor

The twenty-six calendars or as they were originally called ‘almanacs’ are having their public debut as they have not been exhibited before.  They are a strong reminder of the power of imagery as an educational and propaganda tool from the time of Louis XIV up until the French Revolution when the calendar and time were ‘re-invented’.

Philibert Louis Debucourt, Almanac Titled ‘Republican calendar’, 1794.
Photo Mike Fear © National Trust, Waddesdon Manor

The large single-sheet prints features scenes of victories, royal events and peace treaties while the smaller bound pocketbook versions – think the 18th century equivalent of the smartphone – could contain a variety of useful facts,  including lists of the royal households, postal service schedules, songs, poetry and some even had erasable pages for note-taking or recording gambling debts.

The Mother of Parliaments Annual Division of Revenue, A Print for The British Electorate by Adam Dant, 2017
(c) Adam Dant

Alongside these 18th century examples is a specially commissioned 21st century almanac created by the British artist Adam Dant.  Using the 18th century examples as an example, Dant has amusingly re-interpreted them by depicting modern British MPS and ministers. It may well indeed gain extra significance as a political snapshot of early 2017 given the forthcoming General Election.

www.waddesdon.org.uk

REVOLUTIONARY ART

Revolution under a King: French Prints 1789-92, UCL Art Museum, South Cloisters, Wilkins Building, Gower Street, London, WC1, until 10th June 2016

Jean-Michel Moreau after Noël Le Mire, Louis Seize: Bonnet des Jacobins donné au Roi, le 6 Juin 1792, Copper Engraving, UCL Art Museum

Jean-Michel Moreau after Noël Le Mire,
Louis Seize: Bonnet des Jacobins donné au Roi, le 6 Juin 1792, Copper Engraving,
UCL Art Museum

 This is a delightful small exhibition that focuses on the period between the Fall of the Bastille on July 14th 1789 and the end of 1792.  This was a period when Louis XVI was still king but the old order was undergoing radical change that not only affected France but also caused concerns in the rest of Europe.  The prints are a wonderful record of what was happening in France in this short period as they give an easily understandable interpretation of the very complex issues involved.

Louis XVI was executed on 21st January, 1793.

For visitor information please go to 

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums/uclart/visit/exhibitions/Revolutionunderaking

 

 

Comix Creatrix: 100 Women Making Comics, House of Illustration, 2 Granary Square, King’s Cross London N1, until 15th May 2016

“Genesis 3” Alison Sampson © Alison Sampson Courtesy of the artist

“Genesis 3” Alison Sampson © Alison Sampson Courtesy of the artist

In some ways this exhibition might be described as “revolutionary” as it traces the emergence and work of female comic creators from the 19th century until the present day, but with an emphasis on the 21st century creators. Many of the works are having their first public airing.

“The Collector” Marion Fayolle © Marion Fayolle Courtesy of the artist

“The Collector” Marion Fayolle © Marion Fayolle Courtesy of the artist

houseofillustration.org.uk