Madame du Châtelet (new book)

 The New Yorker for 28th October publishes a review by Adam Gopnic of Andrew Janiak, The Enlightenment's Most Dangerous Woman: Émilie du Châtelet and the Making of Modern Philosophy  (available in the UK at the end of January 2025)

Augustus the Strong

Tim Blanning's new book, Augustus the Strong: A Study in Artistic Greatness and Political Fiasco was published on 3rd October.  It's (almost) enough to make you forsake 18th-century France for 18th-century Germany...

Marie-Antoinette's library

Here is an interesting article, just published in a local US newspaper, with some useful references to Marie-Antoinette's libraries.

Flying tables....

The Carnets de Versailles for 22nd October publishes an article by Stéphane Castelluccio on mechanical chairs and tables, particularly the abortive project for a "flying table" at the Petit Trianon.

Revolution podcast

 Recently updated: "The French Revolution"  on The Rest is History podcast with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook.  

A Swiss guillotine

 A  new post  on Atlas Obscura features a surviving Revolutionary guillotine on display at the Tavel House in Geneva.  

Times article on the Carnavalet FR expo.

 Adam Sage publishes an article in The Times for 15th October on the new French Revolution exhibition at the Carnavalet.

Horvitz Collection exhibitions

Two exhibitions, of Neoclassical paintings and French drawings from the Horvitz Collection, run at the Art Institute of Chicago, from late October to 6th January 2025

Watteau's Pierrot (exhibition)

A new exhibition centring on Watteau's Pierrot, which has been recently restored, runs at the Louvre from 16th October to 3rd February 2025.

Exploring the Paris catacombs

This September researchers under the direction of medical anthropologist Philippe Charlier have been continuing a scientific exploration of the Paris catacombs begun in September of last year.

A diamond necklace

Sotheby's Geneva  have announced the auction in November of an 18th-century diamond necklace with a pre-sale estimate between $1.8 million and $2.8 million.  The piece is said to incorporate stones from Marie-Antoinette's infamous Diamond Necklace (and it is certainly monstrous enough to make this believable...)

Oudry's hunting scenes (Exhibition)

The exhibition "Jean-Baptiste Oudry and the Royal Hunts of Louis XV" takes place at the Château de Fontainebleau from 12th October 2024 to 27th January 2025.