Know-Before-You-Go---Marie.Pdf

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Know-Before-You-Go---Marie.Pdf CHARACTERMarie GUIDE KEY AUSTRIAN FAMILY MARIA THERESA FRENCH FAMILY Empress of Austria Mother INNER CIRCLE PRINCESS DE COMTESSE DE DUCHESSE LAMBALLE NOAILLES POLIGNAC POLITICAL FORCE Confidant Head Servant Friend FRIENDSHIPS AFFAIRS FAMILY COMTESSE HENRIETTE MARQUISE DE TRAUTMANNSDORF CAMPAN TOURZEL Governess Lady-in-waiting Children’s governess COUNT MERCY JOSEPH II Ambassador of France Brother MARIE ANTOINETTE Queen of France MARIE THÉRÈSE CHARLOTTE MARQUIS DE COUNT Daughter LAFAYETTE AXEL FERSEN Friend of Count Swedish Count and Axel Fersen Lover of Marie LOUIS CHARLES Son LOUIS AUGUSTE (LOUIS XVI) COMTESSE DE King of France MADAME COMTESSE PROVENCE LOUIS XAVIER ELIZABETH and Husband CLOTHILDE CHARLES D’ARTOIS Wife of Louis Xavier Brother of Louis XVI Sister of Louis XVI Sister of Louis XVI Brother of Louis XVI Wife of Charles DUC D’ORLÉANS Cousin of Louis XVI MADAME DU BARRY LOUIS XV Mistress of Louis XV Grandfather to Louis XVI MARIE Friends & Enemies Meet the friends and enemies of the monarch By Nancy Wozny he backstory of Stanton Welch’s epic ballet Marie could have easily been called “Marie and her friends and enemies,” as the drama is often driven by the T many political players surrounding her. It takes a vil- lage to topple a country, and Welch enlists a roster of intriguing figures to give his ballet historic heft and emotional dimension. Each character plays a role in the famed queen’s tragic downfall, and it’s Welch’s ability to draw out their personalities and unique relationships to Marie that lends such gravitas to the ballet. Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, youngest daughter of Austria’s black-widow empress, Maria Theresa, is indeed at the center of Welch’s lavish story ballet. Equal parts master storyteller and history wonk, Welch immersed himself in Antonia Fraser’s 2001 biography, Marie Antoinette: The Journey, along with the PBS documentary Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution to get a deeper picture of history’s famous party girl. “I was astonished by what I learned,” admits Welch. “All the assumptions that I had were wrong. She was actually a good mother and friend.” Having Marie’s cold-hearted mother, Maria Theresa, in the opening scene helps establish the austerity of political mar- Principal Nozomi Iijima as Marie. Photo by Claire McAdams 14 15 riages, in this case the union handsome and charismatic and Welch for a number of reasons. truly humanized at the end.” of Marie to Louis Auguste, the had a way with women. “Louis Joseph II negotiated the terms It’s not a Welch ballet without a sig- Dauphin of France, in order to Auguste is awkward and a bit of of Marie’s marriage to Louis nature pas de deux. Marie’s love inter- improve the unstable relations a misfit,” says Welch. “It is very Auguste with Count Mercy, est Count Axel Fersen fills that need between Austria and France. hard to fill the Old King’s shoes and his advice proved helpful and then some. Some of Welch’s most “We see a mother at work for her when he dies at 64.” Like Marie, in the royal bedroom, as the sweeping choreography happens in country, and Marie as a child, we do see Louis Auguste evolve. couple’s sexless first seven years Act II with the dashing Swedish Count an innocent, taken to the bor- “Although it’s not a great love of marriage grew to be a major and Marie. Welch found the letters ex- der and stripped down naked story, they do become friends,” problem when it came time to changed between the Count and Marie by strangers at 14 years of age,” adds Welch. produce an heir. “We know that revealing. “Although we cannot be sure says Welch. “This scene was the Louis Auguste may not have it was after Joseph spoke to they had an affair, they had a deep pas- seed of the entire ballet.” been the life of the party, but Louis that the couple was able sion and they were close friends,” says Count Mercy, the French Am- he’s the best of the lot when to consummate their marriage,” Welch. “He also plots a rescue mission.” bassador, plays a key role in Ma- considering his dim younger says Welch. “And there were Perhaps the most tragic character be- rie’s fate. “He actually chooses brothers, Charles and Louis rumors that Joseph was the sides Marie is her best friend and con- Marie among Maria Theresa’s Xavier. Welch quips, “They father of Marie’s children.” fidante, Princess de Lamballe. We see flock of daughters,” says Welch. are like dumb and dumber, yet Some characters come and go her tipsy and frolicking about in Act II’s “He translates to her mother they both managed to escape.” in the ballet, but Marie’s chap- rousing party scene at the height of the what will happen, and he helps Welch also finds some humor in erone Comtesse de Noailles is court’s display of excess. Then, tragical- Marie fit into the court, like a Madame du Barry, Louis XV’s present throughout. “She’s a ly, in Act III, it’s her head that is put on a parent.” mistress. “She’s a villain and good character in that there’s spear for all to see. Welch considers this The child groom and lat- makes fun of Louis Auguste’s such a wonderful arc to her act the ultimate violence towards Marie. er clock-obsessed king, Louis sexual problems,” says Welch. story. She’s Marie’s second A conversation with Welch about Auguste (Louis XVI), proved When she is ousted from the cold mother, telling her how to Marie’s many multifaceted characters curious to Welch, in that he’s court, it’s clear she knows that dress, but not in a warm way. reveals both the depth of his research odd but also strangely endear- Marie’s time will come, too. Yet she also ends up in the jail and commitment to telling an authentic ing. He is quite a contrast to his Joseph II, Marie’s brother and cell with Marie, and their rela- and captivating story. He has mined the grandfather, Louis XV, who was Co-regent of Austria, captivated tionship is transformed. She is available resources to put forth a drama that is rooted in fact, but considers hear- say and rumor as well, since Marie was the subject of many a tabloid of the day. As for there being one character that is a clear-cut villain, Welch will leave that up to the viewer, as his ballet presents the full surround of the rise and fall of the famous queen, Marie Antoinette. KEEPING UP WITH LOUIS Louis, Louis, and Louis... same name, three different royals. Here’s how to differentiate between the three. Marie returns June 14-23, 2019 LOUIS XV LOUIS LOUIS XVI Also known as Louis the Beloved. He Also known as Louis, Dauphin of Also known as Louis Auguste. was the predecessor and grandfather France. Father of Louis XVI and elder Son of Louis, Dauphin of France, to Louis XVI and father to Louis. son of Louis XV. He died before grandson to Louis XV, and husband Louis XV succumbs to smallpox at ascending to the throne leading to to Marie Antoinette. His young court the age of 64 before preparing his his son’s early ascension. governs with frivolity and opulence grandson for the crown. eventually leading to the French Revolution. Sarkar Amitava by photo Ballet, of Houston and Artists Melody Mennite Principal 16 17.
Recommended publications
  • Kings and Courtesans: a Study of the Pictorial Representation of French Royal Mistresses
    University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2008 Kings and Courtesans: A Study of the Pictorial Representation of French Royal Mistresses Shandy April Lemperle The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Lemperle, Shandy April, "Kings and Courtesans: A Study of the Pictorial Representation of French Royal Mistresses" (2008). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 1258. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1258 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. KINGS AND COURTESANS: A STUDY OF THE PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION OF FRENCH ROYAL MISTRESSES By Shandy April Lemperlé B.A. The American University of Paris, Paris, France, 2006 Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Fine Arts, Art History Option The University of Montana Missoula, MT Spring 2008 Approved by: Dr. David A. Strobel, Dean Graduate School H. Rafael Chacón, Ph.D., Committee Chair Department of Art Valerie Hedquist, Ph.D., Committee Member Department of Art Ione Crummy, Ph.D., Committee Member Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Lemperlé, Shandy, M.A., Spring 2008 Art History Kings and Courtesans: A Study of the Pictorial Representation of French Royal Mistresses Chairperson: H.
    [Show full text]
  • Declining Homogamy of Austrian-German Nobility in the 20Th Century? a Comparison with the Dutch Nobility Dronkers, Jaap
    www.ssoar.info Declining homogamy of Austrian-German nobility in the 20th century? A comparison with the Dutch nobility Dronkers, Jaap Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Zeitschriftenartikel / journal article Zur Verfügung gestellt in Kooperation mit / provided in cooperation with: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Dronkers, J. (2008). Declining homogamy of Austrian-German nobility in the 20th century? A comparison with the Dutch nobility. Historical Social Research, 33(2), 262-284. https://doi.org/10.12759/hsr.33.2008.2.262-284 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer CC BY Lizenz (Namensnennung) zur This document is made available under a CC BY Licence Verfügung gestellt. Nähere Auskünfte zu den CC-Lizenzen finden (Attribution). For more Information see: Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de Diese Version ist zitierbar unter / This version is citable under: https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-191342 Declining Homogamy of Austrian-German Nobility in the 20th Century? A Comparison with the Dutch Nobility Jaap Dronkers ∗ Abstract: Has the Austrian-German nobility had the same high degree of no- ble homogamy during the 20th century as the Dutch nobility? Noble homog- amy among the Dutch nobility was one of the two main reasons for their ‘con- stant noble advantage’ in obtaining elite positions during the 20th century. The Dutch on the one hand and the Austrian-German nobility on the other can be seen as two extreme cases within the European nobility. The Dutch nobility seems to have had a lower degree of noble homogamy during the 20th century than the Austrian-German nobility.
    [Show full text]
  • The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg ✵ ✵ the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg ✵
    The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg ✵ ✵ The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg ✵ TRH Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wave to the crowd from the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace (7 October 2000) Historical introduction ✹07 Chapter One The House of Luxembourg-Nassau ✹17 - The origins of the national dynasty 18 - The sovereigns of the House of Luxembourg 20 - Grand Duke Adolphe 20 - Grand Duke William IV - Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde 21 - Grand Duchess Charlotte 22 - Grand Duke Jean 24 - Grand Duke Henri 28 Grand Duchess Maria Teresa 32 - Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume 34 - Grand Duke Henri’s brothers and sisters 36 - HRH Grand Duke Henri’s accession to the throne on 7 October 2000 40 Chapter Two The monarchy today ✹49 - Prepared for reign 50 - The Grand Duke’s working day 54 - The Grand Duke’s visits abroad 62 - Visits by Heads of State to Luxembourg 74 - The public image of the Grand Ducal Family in Luxembourg 78 Chapter Three The constitutional monarchy ✹83 - The political situation of the Grand Duke 84 SUMMARY - The order of succession to the throne 92 Index - Index Accession to the Grand Ducal Throne 94 - The Lieutenancy 96 - The Regency 98 Chapter Four The symbols of the monarchy ✹101 - National Holiday – official celebration day of the Grand Duke’s birthday 102 - Coats of arms of the Grand Ducal House 104 - The anthem of the Grand Ducal House 106 Chapter Five The residences of the Grand Ducal Family ✹109 - The Grand Ducal Palace 110 - Berg Castle 116 - Fischbach Castle 118 Annexe - The Grand Duke’s visits abroad - Visits by Heads of State to Luxembourg HistoricalIntro introduction History Historical summary Around 963 1214 Siegfried acquires the rocky Ermesinde of Luxembourg outcrop of Lucilinburhuc marries Waleran of Limburg 1059-1086 1226- 1247 Conrad I, Count of Luxembourg Ermesinde, Countess of Luxembourg 8 1136 ✹ Death of Conrad II, last Count 1247-1281 Henry V of Luxembourg, of Luxembourg from the House known as Henry the Blond, of Ardenne.
    [Show full text]
  • Seattle/King County Point-In-Time Count of Persons Experiencing Homelessness 2019
    SEATTLE/KING COUNTY POINT-IN-TIME COUNT OF PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS 2019 COMPREHENSIVE REPORT PRODUCED BY ASR ABOUT ALL HOME All Home is the lead agency for the Seattle/King County Continuum of Care. All Home’s vision is that homelessness should be rare in King County, racial disparities eliminated, and that homelessness should be a brief and one-time experience. Donna Andrews Felicia Salcedo Special Thanks To: Zachary DeWolf Triina Van Marci Curtin & Lianna Kressin, Human Services Dept. Latrice Donahue Mandy Urwiler Matt Simmonds & Edward Barber, Simtech Solutions Melissa Espinoza Danielle Winslow Nicole Novak and Laura Cindric, Slalom Thalia Garcia Jean-Paul Yafali LaMont Green Kira Zylstra 201 S Jackson Street, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98104 www.allhomekc.org ABOUT THE RESEARCHER Applied Survey Research (ASR) is a social research firm dedicated to helping people build better communities by collecting meaningful data, facilitating information-based planning, and developing custom strategies. The firm was founded on the principle that community improvement, initiative sustainability, and program success are closely tied to assessment needs, evaluation of community goals, and development of appropriate responses. ASR has over 18 years of experience conducting Point-in- Time Counts throughout California and across the nation. Their methodology is featured as a best practice in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) publication: A Guide to Counting Unsheltered Homeless People. Project Manager: James Connery Senior
    [Show full text]
  • Cavell and the Politics of Cinema: on Marie Antoinette Richard Rushton1
    Film-Philosophy 18 (2014): Special Section on Stanley Cavell Cavell and the Politics of Cinema: On Marie Antoinette Richard Rushton1 In his writings, does Stanley Cavell propose something which might be called a ‘politics of cinema’? If the answer to such a question is ‘yes’, then I take it that a politics of cinema from Cavell’s perspective is one which downplays the question of cinematic techniques. For Cavell, a film’s ‘reflexivity’ or its foregrounding of the apparatus are not the grounds for defining a politics of cinema. Rather, Cavell asks questions like: How does a film articulate the stakes of a social or communal world? or: How does a film come to define the ways in which a group of people can live together? A political analysis of a film for Cavell would examine any film’s ways of articulating and defining a political society or framework. That is, a politics of cinema from Cavell’s perspective is one in which the stakes are to define a society or community. What is a ‘community’ or ‘society’? In a straightforward sense, a society is any group of people that is organised in such a way that its organisation persists over time, or that it might persist over time. A community or society therefore must be relatively stable, otherwise it could not be called a community or society. And yet, at the same time, any community will also be the product of its own continually changing processes of making and remaking itself. A political community therefore will only ever be relatively stable, so that change, disruption and transformation will be integral to any social formation.
    [Show full text]
  • The Pitiful King: Tears, Blood, and Family in Revolutionary Royalism
    The Pitiful King: Tears, Blood, and Family in Revolutionary Royalism Victoria Murano Submitted to Professors Lisa Jane Graham and Linda Gerstein In partial fulfillment of the requirement of History 400: Senior Thesis Seminar Murano 1 Abstract When the French Revolution erupted in 1789, revolutionaries strove to foster a sense of freedom of expression, guaranteeing a brief freedom of the press. The eleventh article of the 1791 Declaration of the Rights of Man asserts that “The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of man’s most precious rights; all citizens may therefore speak, write, print freely, except to answer for the abuse of this liberty in cases determined by law.” However, as France became further embroiled in the Revolution, it abandoned its allegiance to the universality of these rights, propagating pro-republican thought, and persecuting anyone who did not share these views. The royalist press was a major concern to the new republican government, because it continued to speak out in support of the king and criticize the Revolution. The existence of royalist journalists and writers thus posed a problem for revolutionaries who wanted to establish a monolithically-minded republic. Therefore, over time, they enacted repressive censorship and punishment to crack down on royalist sympathizers. Although they sent many royalist writers to prison or the guillotine, the revolutionaries ultimately failed to silence their political enemies. This thesis uses newspapers, images, and other printed media to explore royalist coverage of three events that diminished royal power: Louis XVI’s flight to Varennes in June 1791, his execution in January 1793, and the death of his nine-year-old son and heir, Louis XVII, in June 1795.
    [Show full text]
  • Pour La Journée Internationale Des Droits Des Femmes, Le Centre Des
    Communiqué de presse, le 21 février 2019 Pour la journée internationale des droits des femmes, le Centre des monuments nationaux et la mairie du 8e arrondissement de Paris proposent « le Moi des femmes » à la Chapelle expiatoire des événements culturels sur tout le mois de mars Chapelle expiatoire, façade orientale vue depuis le portique d’entrée © Benjamin Gavaudo – Centre des monuments nationaux Contacts presse : Chapelle expiatoire : Thomas Pucci 01 42 65 35 80 [email protected] Pôle presse du CMN : Julia Rage 01 44 61 21 42 [email protected] Pour retrouver l’ensemble des communiqués du CMN : presse.monuments-nationaux.fr Communiqué de presse À l’occasion de la journée internationale des droits des femmes, le Centre des monuments nationaux et la mairie du 8e arrondissement de Paris s’associent pour présenter « le Moi des femmes » à la Chapelle expiatoire. Des événements culturels mettant à l’honneur des personnalités féminines seront organisés tout le long du mois de mars. « La Femme naît libre et demeure égale à l'homme en droits. » Article Ier de la Déclaration des droits de la Femme et de la Citoyenne, Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793). Inhumée au cimetière de la Madeleine sur lequel s’élève la Chapelle expiatoire. Mercredi 6 mars à 18h30 : Rencontre avec Josiane Balasko En partenariat avec la librairie des Abbesses, une rencontre avec Josiane Balasko pour son recueil de nouvelles « Jamaiplu » aux éditions Pygmalion est organisée, suivie d’une séance de dédicaces. Vendredi 8 et samedi 9 mars à 15h : Visite commentée « La Chapelle expiatoire et les femmes » Olympe de Gouges, Charlotte Corday et Manon Roland sont trois femmes qui, chacune à leur manière, ont contribué, par leur exemple et leur engagement, à faire avancer les droits des femmes dans l’Histoire.
    [Show full text]
  • Between Count William V of Aquitaine and Hugh IV of Lusignan, 1020S1
    Conventum (Agreement) between Count William V of Aquitaine agreement or settlement with Savaric’s brother Ralph until the land was and Hugh IV of Lusignan, 1020s1 released. He said this in the presence of everyone, but in secret afterwards This document records a series of disputes between William, often he gave the land to Ralph. Hugh made an agreement with Ralph the nicknamed the Great, count of Poitou and duke of Aquitaine (ruled c. viscount to marry Ralph’s daughter in return for that estate or a greater 995/6-1030) and one of his vassals who can be identified as Hugh the estate or something else. When the count heard this he was very angry and castellan of Lusignan, although in the text he is called by the nickname Chiliarchus. The information contained in the conventum makes it hastened to Hugh in humility and said to him, “Don’t marry Ralph’s possible to date it by internal means to a period covering the years c. daughter. I’ll give you whatever you ask me, and you’ll be my friend 1022-8, although the exact length of time which occurred before Hugh before everyone else except my son.” Hugh did what the count ordered made a final settlement with his lord is by no means clear. and, out of love of the count and fidelity to him, he privately cast the The genre of the conventum still remains a problem. The conventum seems to be a record of an oral agreement whose elaborate narrative is a woman off.
    [Show full text]
  • Picturing Marie Lezczinska (1703- 1768): Representing Queenship in Eighteenth-Century France
    2017 IV Picturing Marie Lezczinska (1703- 1768): Representing Queenship in Eighteenth-Century France Jennifer Germann Farnham: Ashgate, 2015 Review by: Heidi A. Strobel Review: Printing Marie Leszczinska (1703-1768): Representing Queenship in Eighteenth Century France Picturing Marie Leszczinska (1703-1768): Representing Queenship in Eighteenth- Century France. By Jennifer Germann. Farnham: Ashgate, 2015. ISBN 978-1- 4094-5582-0. xiii + 239 pp. £65.00. n Picturing Marie Leszczinska (1703-1768): Representing Queenship in Eighteenth-Century France, Jennifer Germann considers the visual legacy of the wife of Louis XV (r. 1715-1774) through the lenses of social I art history, patronage, and gender studies. During her time as the longest reigning queen of France (1725-1768), Leszczinska gave birth to ten children. She never enjoyed a great deal of power at the French court, however, for she arrived there as the daughter of the exiled Polish king and was eventually eclipsed by the royal mistresses, particularly Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry. Germann’s account is a template for the historical consideration of a weak consort. During Leszczinska’s tenure, the power of French queenship continued to erode, a process that began with her predecessor, Marie-Thérèse (wife of Louis XIV), and came to a fateful end with her successor, Marie-Antoinette. Germann’s analysis of gender, power, and representation provides a necessary description of the change in French queenship from the strong Médici consorts of the early modern period to the weak ones of the eighteenth century. Germann focuses primarily on four portraits made at three distinct historical moments in Marie Leszczinska’s life, arguing that although she did not wield political power, her portraits reveal a degree of historical agency.
    [Show full text]
  • Ebook Download Madame Du Barry and Her Quite Interesting Origins
    MADAME DU BARRY AND HER QUITE INTERESTING ORIGINS PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Sean Caruana Webster | 66 pages | 01 Nov 2020 | Independently Published | 9798674255734 | English | none Madame du Barry and her Quite Interesting Origins PDF Book Joan Haslip's classic biography shares the extraordinary and ultimately tragic story of du Barry's life and, in turn, illustrates the dazzling world of the eighteenth century royal court of France and the horrors of the Revolution. Lyra Lyra is passionate about dancing, reading and drifting through the city's streets. Including wigs. Designed for intensive technical use, such as through equestrian use, these slim fit jeans are designed to last a lifetime of usage while looking damn good doing it. She was known to have a beautiful voice. Fame is where you find it. Jan 26, Sylvia Zedler rated it really liked it. We respect your privacy. This post originally appeared on F Yeah History and is reprinted here with permission. It was a fact that Marie Antoinette had rather close relationships with some of her male admirers. I just started reading the book a few days ago but what got me a bit confused about the facts is the D. What made this even worse was the fact that her son was indoctrinated by the revolutionaries and made to believe that his mother was all wrong. Marie Antoinette by Joseph Ducreux. Well, that would certainly be fitting for a French Queen. James McKinney rated it really liked it Mar 11, There you have it, all about the life of Marie Antoinette! Convents, not the natural home for teenage sass….
    [Show full text]
  • Breaking with Convention: Mme De Pompadour's Refashioning of The
    Breaking with Convention: Mme de Pompadour’s Refashioning of the ‘Self’ Through the Bellevue Turqueries Mandy Paige-Lovingood A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Art History. Chapel Hill 2017 Approved by: Melissa L. Hyde Cary Levine John Bowles ©2017 Mandy Paige-Lovingood ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT MANDY PAIGE-LOVINGOOD: Breaking with Convention: Mme de Pompadour’s Refashioning of the ‘Self’ Through the Bellevue Turqueries (Under the direction of Dr. Melissa Hyde) In 1750 the sexual relationship between Mme Pompadour and Louis XV ended, resulting in the maîtresse-en-titre’s move out of Versailles and into the Château de Bellevue. Designed by Pompadour and with the financial support of the king, the château offered her a place away from court etiquette and criticism, a private home for her and Louis XV to relax. Within Bellevue, her bedroom (la chambre a la turq) was decorated with Turkish furnishings, textiles and Carle Van Loo’s three-portrait harem series. Specifically, my thesis will explore Pompadour’s chambre a la turque and Van Loo’s A Sultana Taking Coffee, the only self-portrait of Mme de Pompadour in the series, to exhibit her adoption and depiction of the French fashion trend of turquerie. Here, I suggest Pompadour’s adoption of harem masquerade was a political campaign aimed at reclaiming and magnifying her social and political dislocation from Louis XV’s court, as well as an alternative appraoch to the French definition of ‘woman,’ whereby she represented herself as an elite and desired ‘other’: the Ottoman woman.
    [Show full text]
  • The Socialization of Aristocratic Children by Commoners: Recalled Experiences of the Hereditary Elite in Modern Japan
    20 Chapter TL:Layout 1 8/5/07 16:49 Page 317 First published in Cultural Anthropology 5(1), February 1990. 20 The Socialization of Aristocratic Children by Commoners: Recalled Experiences of the Hereditary Elite in Modern Japan n my previous research on Japanese women (Lebra 1984), I learned that, Iprior to the postwar educational liberation for ordinary women to go on to college, lower- and middle-class girls typically spent premarital years, upon graduation from grade school or high school, at households above their own classes as maids or ‘etiquette apprentices.’ For poor families, this was the only available and acceptable employment for a daughter if only to ‘reduce a mouth to feed,’ while better-off families considered it a rite of passage to transform an unfinished girl into a qualified bridal candidate. Matchmakers would count such cross-class apprenticeship as an important, sometimes mandatory, credential for a bride. This finding prompted me to turn to the upper-class Japanese, particularly, aristocrats, as the next research project with the hope of gaining a stereoscopic view of Japanese society. Indeed, I found commoners entering the interior of aristocratic lives and leaving an indelible mark there, in a way much more than as apprentices absorbing the upper-class culture. This article presents a portion of my current research on the Japanese elite, focusing on the part played by commoners in socializing the aristocratic children. A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MODERN JAPANESE NOBILITY Aristocracy here refers to the modern nobility called the Kazoku, the ‘flower lineage,’ that formally existed from 1884 until 1947 when it was abolished under the postwar democratic constitution.
    [Show full text]