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Versailles: Art, Power, Resistance and the Sun King's Palace

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Versailles: Art, Power, Resistance and the Sun King's Palace Versailles: Art, Power, Resistance and the Sun King’s Palace (Spring 2020) SYLLABUS: SIGN 26043, FREN 26043 Professor Larry Norman: [email protected] (Office hours T 10:30-noon) Course Assistant (CA): Amine Bouhayat: [email protected]. Language Assistant (LA): Peadar Kavanagh: [email protected] INTRODUCTION: ART AND POWER IN THE 17TH AND 21ST CENTURIES April 7 Introduction April 9 ◊ Colin Jones, Versailles (Introduction, chapter 1) ◊ Peter Burke, The Fabrication of Louis XIV (1992, chapters 1 and 2) ◊ France in the World, chapter “1682: Versailles, Capital of French Europe” (2017, 2019, ed. P. Boucheron) ◊ Consult sites: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/key- dates/party-delights-enchanted-island https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03w3y8m https://www.artforum.com/print/201103/contemporary-art-at-versailles-27579 I. MOLIÈRE: SATIRE, MONARCHY, AND SOCIETY April 14 ◊ Molière, Tartuffe (1664-1669) April 16 ◊ Molière, Tartuffe and Molière’s preface & Petitions to King (Canvas) ◊ France in the World, chapter “1685: France Revokes the Edict of Nantes” (in same document as “1682” assigned April 9) April 21 ◊ Molière, The Would-Be Gentleman (Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, 1668, English text on canvas) ◊ Colin Jones, Versailles, chapter 4, “Living: Styles of Versailles Life”) April 23 ◊ Molière, The Would-Be Gentleman ◊ La Bruyère, Characters (1693), “Of the Court” (with special attention to numbers 2, 19, 32, 62-64, 74-75, 100-101) ◊ Saint Simon, Memoirs (1715) —English read pp. 245-266; —French read pp. 469-70, 478-486, 521-536 ◊ Mme de Sévigné, Letters (“Gaming at Versailles, 1676”) Presentation by Peadar Kavanagh II. RACINE: POLITICAL TRAGEDY, ANCIENT AND MODERN April 28 ◊ Racine, Iphigenia and preface (1674) April 30 ◊ Racine, Iphigenia (1674) ◊ Édouard Pommier, “Versailles: The Image of the Sovereign” (1998) April 31 (Noon) Midterm Paper Proposal due (1 Page, to Prof. and CA) Versailles, Norman 2 III. LA FONTAINE: MYTH, ART, AND EROS May 5 ◊ La Fontaine, The Loves of Cupid and Psyche (1669), Preface and Part 1 —English text (Canvas) preface (no page nos.) and p. 107-157 —French [éd. Jeanneret] p.53-96 (also read footnotes in English text) May 7 (NOON) FRENCH-Language Midterm [4-5 pages] DRAFT Due (To CA) May 7 ◊ La Fontaine, The Loves of Cupid and Psyche (1669) —English p. 158-184 —French 97-116 ◊ Felibien, Description of the Grotto of Versailles (bilingual edition, also read Berger’s introduction) May 12 ◊ La Fontaine, The Loves of Cupid and Psyche —English pp. 184-222; —French pp. 117-133 (also read footnotes in English text) Guest Presentation by Esther Van Dyke May 13 (8pm) Mid-Term Paper [final version for all students, 4-5 Pages] Due (To Prof. & CA) May 14: Versailles and the arts: guest lecture, Prof. Richard Neer (Art History) ◊ Richard Neer, “Bourdon, Bosse, and the Rules of Classicism” (2017) ◊ Louis XIV, “How to Visit the Gardens of Versailles) (1700, manuscript) ◊ Anthony Blunt, “Louis XIV…”, Art and Architecture in France (1957, 1980) IV. ANCIEN RÉGIME, REVOLUTION AND VERSAILLES TODAY May 19 Versailles and the World: Diplomacy, Colonialism and Slavery ◊ France in the World: “1683,” “1686,” “1715” (2017, 2019, ed. P. Boucheron) ◊ Visitors to Versailles, “Special Embassies” & catalogue selections (2018) ◊ Royal Edict issued at Versailles 1685, “The Black Code” ◊ Jaucourt, “Slave Trade” (article in 1751 Encyclopédie) Presentation by Amine Bouhayat May 19 Final Paper/Project Proposal Due [1 Page] to Prof. and CA May 21 French Revolution: Guest lecture: Colin Jones, History ◊ Declaration of the Rights of Man (drafted at Versailles, 1789) ◊ Declaration of the Rights of Women (Olympe de Gouges, 1791) ◊ Depositions from the Women’s March on Versailles (1789), selections ◊ France in the World “1789” (2019, ed. P. Boucheron) ◊ Jones, Versailles, chap. 5, 6, conclusion Versailles, Norman 3 May 26 Guest lecture: “Contemporary sculpture: Queering Versailles” Jennifer Row, University of Minnesota ◊ Perrault (Charles), “Donkey Skin” (Peau d’âne), 1695 ◊ Jennifer Row, “The Beads of Versailles: Jean-Michel Othoniel’s Les Belles Danses” (ASAP/Journal, 2.2 (2017): 449-479) May 28 Student presentations, GROUP I (INCLUDES ALL GRADUATING STUDENTS): students presenting must upload 5-7 minute recorded presentations at least 48 hours before class; all students must will view/listen in preparation for class discussion) June 2 Student presentations, GROUP II (as above) June 4-5 Reading period June 4 Graduating Senior Final Project/Paper Due June 4 French-Language Draft Due For Final Paper/Project To CA June 9 Final Project/Paper Due [5 pages new subject; 8-9 pages if continuation of mid-term paper] EVALUATION: Mid-Term Paper 25% 4-5 page paper on Molière, Racine, or La Fontaine (which may include contextualization with other texts studied in or outside class. FREN students required to turn in draft) Final Project 30% Either 1) a 8-9 page paper further developing the mid-term paper with the addition of at least one new text/artwork OR 2) a 5-page paper or 10-minute video project developing a new topic related to texts or material from below APPENDIX list of artworks/films/exhibitions, or another research subject approved by professor. This project can be creative/experimental, including creative writing or video documentary/art) Class Presentation 15% 7-minute pre-recorded presentation/video on your final project-in-progress, uploaded on canvas, plus 5-minute synchronous discussion in class session) Class Participation 30% includes Canvas Discussion weekly 200-word postings and French-language discussion groups for FREN students. Versailles, Norman 4 BOOKS: University of Chicago Bookstore Required for all students Colin Jones, Versailles, Basic Books, 9781541673380 English Books (required for SIGN registrees) Molière, Tartuffe (trans. Richard Wilbur), Harvest, 9780156881807 Racine, Iphigenia, Phaedra, Athalia (trans. J. Cairncross), Penguin, 9780140441222 French books (required for FREN registrees) Molière, Tartuffe, ed. B. Louvat-Molozay, GF Flammarion, ISBN 9782081415966 Molière, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, GF Flammarion, ISBN 9782081238732 Racine, Iphigénie, ed. M. Escola, GF-Flammarion, 9782081450790 or 9782080710222 La Fontaine, Les amours de Psyché, ed. M. Jeanneret, Livre de poche, 9782253051916 APPENDIX Suggested material for student presentations (in addition to below, students may select another choice upon approval by instructor) A. Film The Royal Exchange [L’échange des princesses] (Marc Dugain, 2017) The Death of Louis XIV (2016, Albert Serra) A Little Chaos (2014, Alan Rickman) Farewell, My Queen [Les Adieux à la Reine] (2012, Benoît Jacquot) Marie-Antoinette (2006, Sophia Coppola) Molière (2006, Laurent Tirard) The King is Dancing [Le Roi danse] (2000, Gérard Corbiau) Vatel (2000, Roland Joffé) Ridicule (1995, Patrice Leconte) Jefferson in Paris (1991, James Ivory) Dangerous Liaisons (1988, Stephen Frears) Lady Oscar (1979, Jacques Demy) The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966, Roberto Rossellini) La Marseillaise (1938, Jean Renoir) B. Television and anime series Versailles (television series, 2015-present) The Rose of Versailles (anime series, 1979-1980) C. Manga The Rose of Versailles (Riyoko Iked, 1973-82) D. Painters Paolo Veronese, Charles Le Brun, Jean Cotelle, Hyacinthe Rigaud, François Le Moyne, Jean-Antoine Watteau, Nicolas Lancret, Jean-François Boucher, Honoré Fragonard, Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Hubert Robert, Jacques-Louis David E. Sculptors François Girodet, Pierre Puget, Nicolas Coustou, Marsy brothers, Antoine Coysevox Versailles, Norman 5 F. 21st century contemporary art installations at Versailles Olafur Eliasson, Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Giuseppe Penone, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Lee Ufan, Joana Vasconcelos, Xavier Veilhan, Bernar Venet. .
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