Exhibition | Napoleon: The Imperial Household
On this day, 2 December, in 1804, Napoleon became emperor of the French. This exhibition exploring the imperial household opens in February in Montreal:
Napoleon: The Imperial Household / Napoléon: La maison de l’empereur
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 3 February — 6 May 2018
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, 9 June — 3 September 2018
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, 4 October 2018 — 13 January 2019
Musée National du Château de Fontainebleau, 13 April — 15 July 2019
Joseph Franque, Empress Marie-Louise Watching over the Sleeping King of Rome, 1811 (Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon).
The Imperial Household was a key institution during the reign of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821). It was responsible for the daily lives of the Imperial family and the day-to-day existence of former general Bonaparte, who became Emperor Napoleon in 1804. Napoleon: The Imperial Household aims to re-create the ambience and capture the spirit that prevailed in the French court during the Empire. A selection of works and objets d’art, most of which have never before been exhibited in North America, will reveal the Imperial Household’s role in fashioning a monarchic identity for the new emperor who ruled France following the Revolution, as well as his family and loyal entourage.
The Imperial Household consisted of six departments, each headed by a grand officer, a high-ranking dignitary of the Empire: the grand chaplain, grand master of ceremonies, grand marshal of the Palace, grand master of the hunt, grand chamberlain and grand equerry were each involved in orchestrating every minute of the pageantry in the Court. This is another aspect of the Napoleonic saga that will be presented here, with more than 250 works in which the fine arts and decorative arts were used for purposes of ideology and official propaganda.
Sylvain Cordier, Napoleon: The Imperial Household (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2018), 350 pages, ISBN: 978 030023 3469, $50 / £40.
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Note (added 17 August 2018) — The posting was updated to include dates for venues other than Montreal. It’s also worth noting that the exhibition title varies according to location; in Richmond and Kansas City it’s called Napoleon: Power and Splendor.
Student Workshop | Questions of Technique in Art History
From H-ArtHist:
Questions of Technique in Art History
International Student Workshop of the Deutsches Forum für Kunstgeschichte Paris and the École du Louvre in Paris, 18–24 March 2018
Applications due by 8 January 2018
For some time now and with few exceptions, instruction in artistic materials and techniques has ceased to be an integral part of an art historian’s education. Nevertheless, throughout one’s research in this discipline, one is constantly confronted with the assumption that one has already acquired knowledge on everything from painting materials to reproductive processes, drawing practices, paper, pigment, and bronze casting, to cite only some of the most familiar examples.
In response to this lack, the Deutsche Forum für Kunstgeschichte Paris (DFK), in partnership with the École du Louvre, is offering a week-long workshop for art history students that focuses on artisanal, technical, and restorative techniques, and on how these issues relate to the history of artistic education in France. Study days presided over by international specialists will be punctuated by student presentations, and by site visits to artists’ ateliers at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris (ENSBA), to the Musée Bourdelle, and to the Centre de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF), among other locations. There will also by hands-on opportunities for exploring this subject, including an etching and lithography workshop, and a drawing session with an artist, a professor of the ENSBA.
Participation will be limited to ten master’s and doctoral students from an international pool of applicants. All participants are required to have a professional proficiency in the French language and will be asked to give a presentation whose theme will be assigned in advance.
Travel and lodging expenses for students residing outside of Paris will be covered with a grant of up to 300 Euros with the presentation of receipts. Participants will need to cover their meal expenses. Arrival is expected on March 18th, departure day will be Saturday March 24th.
Application documents must include a letter of motivation (not to exceed 2 pages), a recommendation letter from a professor, and a CV indicating prior academic achievements. There is no guarantee of admission. To be considered, please send your documents to Dr. Julia Drost and Prof. Dr. François-René Martin (ateliersderecherche@dfk-paris.org) with the subject line “Questions de techniques en histoire de l’art / Techniken und Materialien in der Kunstgeschichte” by January 8th, 2018.
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