More Napoleon!

 Napoleonic items from the collection of  Pierre-Jean Chalençon have sold for €8.3 million at an auction held by Sotheby's in Paris on 25th June.

Chateaubriand exhibition

An exhibition dedicated to Atala, Chateaubriand's iconic novel of 1801, runs at the Maison de Chateaubriand, La Vallée-aux-Loups (Hauts-de-Seine) until 28th September.

Sans-culottes (article)

The Collector website publishes a nicely illustrated feature article in English on the sans-culottes (by  Maria-Anita Ronchini, dated 16th June 2025).

Madame de Tourzel memorabilia (auction)

 On 25th June, at  Hôtel Drouot Auction Art Rémy  offered a group of keepsakes which once belonged to the Duchess of Tourzel, the last governess to the children of Marie-Antoinette.

AI at Versailles

 Thanks to the wonders of AI you can now chat to the garden statues at Versailles....

Mercier on London (translation)

Neighbours and Rivals, an English translation of  Mercier's writings on London, by Laurent Turcot and Jonathan Conlin, is published on 1st July.

Revolution exhibition moves to Vizille

The temporary exhibition, "1793/1794 un tourbillon révolutionnaire" - a adaptation of last winter's exhibition at the Carnavalet - will be held at the Musée de la Revolution française in Vizille from 27th June to 23rd November 2025.

Duplessis exhibition

An exhibition dedicated to the work of Joseph Siffred Duplessis (1725-1802) is being held this summer at the Inguimbertine Museum in Carpentras. 

Marie-Antoinette diamond ring auctioned

A ring with a huge pink diamond, which may have belonged to Marie-Antoinette, was sold by  Christie's New York on  June 17, 2025 for a whopping  $13.98 million!

Rare gold coins

A collection of gold coins amassed by a reclusive numismatist from  Castillonnès, Lot-et-Garonne, has been sold by  Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates in Paris for more than 3 million euros ($3.48 million). The collection includes almost  complete sets of coins from the reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI - some minted just before the his execution in 1793.

New book on race (review)

The London Review of Books for 5th June publishes a review by David Todd of William Max Nelson's book Enlightenment Biopolitics (2024), a study of 18th-century theories of race.

Marie-Antoinette at the V & A

The V & A  has now issued the Press Release for the Marie Antoinette Style exhibition which opens in September.

Revolution in the Netherlands

A Leiden University PhD thesis by Dirk Alkemade traces the career of Dutch patriot Pieter Vreede (1750-1837).  [news article, 11.06.2025]. 

Revolutionary thrillers

In an article of 11th June  in National World, Swiss-based author J.R Powell reflects on the opportunities offered by the French Revolution for historical thriller writers.  

Remembering David Bindman

 The death has been announced of David Bindman, Emeritus Professor of the History of Art at University College London.  Among many achievements Professor Bindman is remembered as curator of the British Museum's groundbreaking 1989 exhibition on British representations of the French Revolution.

"Le Père la chaise" verdict ... Guilty!

No real surprises there!  But one suspects he has got away quite lightly....

Archaeology at Versailles and Marly (exhibition)

  The exhibition “Versailles and Marly underground: 40 years of archaeology in the Sun King's estates 1985-2025” runs at the Pavillon des chasses présidentielles in the domaine de Marly from 14th June to 21st September.

The furniture fraud who hoodwinked Versailles....

 After nine years  of investigation, the verdict in the infamous fake chairs trial is to be delivered on Wednesday!  In the meantime, here is a good summary article in English from the BBC News website. 

Darrin McMahon on Equality

The Voltaire Foundation blog publishes a post by Darrin McMahon on the concept of Equality in  Enlightenment thought,  based on a lecture given on April 5, 2025 at the Oxford Literary Festival, sponsored by the Voltaire Foundation.

Eighteenth-century exhibition at the Uffizi

The exhibition "Florence and Europe: Arts of the 18th Century" runs at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence from 28th May to  28th November.