Rothschild collection - upcoming auction

Another  mega-sale ....It has been announced that "$20 Million Worth of Treasures" from the Rothschild family's private collection, is to be auctioned by Christie's in New York this October.  

Misanthropy (book)

The book Misanthropy in the Age of Reason by Joseph Harris is an interesting new take on  Enlightenment culture, reviewed this week in the London Review of Books.

John Hardman on Barnave

John Hardman's new biography,  Antoine Barnave: The Revolutionary who Lost his Head for Marie Antoinette was published on 23rd May.

The Jacques Garcia sale

 The long-anticipated sale of 75 pieces from Jacques Garcia's Château du Champ-de-Bataille took place on 23rd May.  The total realised, some €8 million euros, was less than estimated, though some of the lots made record prices.

Napoleon is defeated by rabbits...

The story of Napoleon and a rabbit hunt which went comically wrong, has featured on several internet sites in the last few days, starting (I think) with Ripley's Believe It or Not! on 17th May. It is an anecdote worth the retelling...

Guillotine "the Movie"

Also making its debut at Cannes this week - Guillotine, created by Los Angeles based filmmaker Izad-Mehr and  produced by the Irish company Mind the Gap.

Bon anniversaire, Max!

On Saturday 6th May, celebrations were held at the Maison Robespierre to mark the 265th anniversary of Robespierre's birth. The Mayor of Arras, Frédéric Leturque  was present to outline the future plans for a museum / interpretative centre on the site. 

Jeanne du Barry opens at Cannes

Jeanne du Barry, directed by Maïwenn, debuts at the Cannes  Festival.  The film stars  Maïwenn  as Madame du Barry and Johnny Depp as Louis XV.

New Trudon candles

The Parisian firm Trudon, the world's oldest candlemaker still in operation, celebrates its 380th anniversary this year with a historically-themed "Tuileries" collection conceived in homage to Marie-Antoinette.  

The Dutch Museum of Freemasonry

 The Dutch Museum of Freemasonry announces a conference at The Hague on 25th May 2023, on aspects of its collections.  You may not be able to attend, but here is a good opportunity to discover a little about this intriguing small museum.

The Beast of Gévaudan

A restored director's cut of Christophe Gans' 2001 fantasy film Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le pacte des loups) is released on Blue-ray and DVD from May 15th and on AppleTV+.  

Peter McPhee on the Eiffel Tower

A bit too modern really - but here is a chance to hear Peter McPhee talk about the Eiffel Tower.  Broadcast on Sunday 7th May in Australia's ABC Radio series Night Life.

Conspiracy theories (book)

The Los Angeles Review of Books publishes an essay by Nicole Bauer, author of Tracing the shadow of secrecy and government transparency in eighteenth-century France, which was published last November.