Voltaire and Mme Denis

 The Voltaire Foundation blog features an essay by Nicolas Cronk on the relationship between Voltaire and Mme Denis.

PBS / BBC M.-A. biopic...again

According to a new article on the website Biography.com "Marie Antoinette Series Portrays the Queen as a Feminist Icon, But Some Historians Disagree" -  something of an understatement, it seems!  

More on the Robespierre letter

A petition has been published in Le Monde by the historian Loris Chavanette to save for the nation the manuscript letter from Robespierre to Danton auctioned on 12th March.

Fire in Bordeaux

  The splendid 18th-century Hôtel de Ville in Bordeaux was set alight last night as part of protests against pension reforms. Fire ravaged the main door of the building and engulfed the front hall.

Remembering Dale Van Kley

 The death on 14th March has been announced of Dale Van Kley, Emeritus Professor of history at Ohio State University.  We lose a learned expert on the 18th-century French church - and an insightful and compassionate historian. 

Ireland's "Year of the French"

On March 7th the French Embassy in Ireland planted a Liberty Oak in the Gardens of the French residence in celebration of Ireland's "Year of the French".

Forgotten women artists?

The latest London Review of Books  has a review of A Revolution on canvas: the rise of women artists in Britain and France, 1760-1830, by Paris Spies-Gans (originally published in June 2022)

Iconic Robespierre letter to be auctioned

The Versailles auction house Osenat announces an upcoming sale, "Royalty in Versailles", to take place on 12th March.  Among many noteworthy lots, is the original manuscript of Robespierre's famous letter of 5th February 1793 to Danton.

The Choiseul Snuffbox

The Louvre has acquired the famous "Choiseul snuffbox" from the Rothschild family for the unprecedented sum of €3.9 M,  €1,200,000 of which has been raised by a major public appeal.

Château d’Ermenonville - for sale

Rousseau's last refuge, now run as a hotel and conference centre - is currently on the market   All yours, should you happen to have €12 million to spare!

Madame du Châtelet (article)

The latest edition of Philosophy Now includes a summary biography of  Madame du Châtelet by Andrea Reichenberger, who has also recently contributed a more detailed article to the  Digital Encyclopedia of European History.

The Marquis de Sade's scroll (book)

A well-received new book by the American writer Joel Warner, The Curse of the Marquis de Sade, traces the colourful history of the famous scroll which contains the manuscript of 120 Days of Sodom.