Fortune the Pug

Courtesy of GeorgianIndex

Pugs are known for being adorable, clown-like creatures. What most people don't know is that they have a long history as companions to royalty. One of the most famous pugs belonged to empress Josephine. His name was Fortune and proved to be more than a match for the empress' powerful husband, Napoleon. Fortune was Josephine's constant companion, he even shared her bed. Legend has it that on the couple's wedding night when Napoleon was about to join his spouse in the marriage bed Fortune bit the emperor's leg. It seems that the dog was unhappy with the thought of sharing his mistress with another.  To make matters worse, when Napoleon wanted to have the dog remove Josephine made it clear that if it was a choice between him and the dog, the dog would be the one to stay. Imagine the irony of the winner of the Battle of Austerlitz being beaten by a tiny pug !

Before the Mirror

Before the Mirror courtesy of the Guggenheim.org

At the Dressing Table courtesy of Wikipedia

Although my day of museum going didn't go as planned I was able to see a stunning painting by Eduoard Manet. Before the Mirror depicts a French courtesan gazing at her image in the mirror. Although the concept is not as controversial today as it was in 19th century France, the painting itself is breathtaking. The simplicity itself is magnificent as the artist is able to fully capture this ordinary event in such a way that it becomes an art form. The image appears different when looked at various angles and the viewer becomes a part of the painting, looking at the woman as she in turn is observing herself. A hint of mystery is created by the missing reflection in the mirror. I personally enjoyed the light blues that made up the composition. This painting also brought to mind a self portrait done by Zinaida Serebriakova. The self portrait entitled At the Dressing Table, was considered Serebriakova's greatest work of art. Like Manet's Before the Mirror Serebriakova's work is able to impart a sense of mystery and intrigue the viewer. It's interesting to note how a similar occupation could intrigue two very different artists. 

The Bad Queen by Carolyn Meyer

History and Women. com

     The Bad Queen follows the numerous rules that governed Marie Antoinette's life and her attempts to escape their confining grasp. The story begins when the infamous queen is still a young archduchess living in Austria. One of fifteen children, she is mostly ignored until the fateful moment when it is decided that Antonia, as the future queen is then called, must marry the Dauphin of France. Antoinette has lived a relatively care free life until this point with almost no restrictions. As she enters the French royal court at Versailles, this freedom is replaced by the rigid, all confinnig etiquette. It is no wonder that Marie Antoinette chooses to rebel in little ways, constantly struggling to be herself and escape the pressure of constant expectations from her mother and the French people. A lonely, flighty girl she spends endlessly in an attempt to fill the vast emptiness created by her unsuccessful marriage. As the country is on the brink of revolution and ruin, poor Marie must deal with a situation that is not of her own making, but that will irreversably change her life.

      Meyer's Marie Antoinette is not the evil queen of the French Revoutiona, but a young woman inadequately prepared for her future role. Her spending is a result of loneliness and lack of knowledge. Antoinette has no real grasp of expense, because everything has been given to her. She is in many ways innocent of the ways of the world. As Meyer makes clear, the troubles of France were a culmination of many factors while Marie Antoinette just proves an easily available scapegoat. Antoinette is a loveable heroine who wishes only to be free and see others happy. In many ways she does what she can to fulfill her duty even if it makes her unhappy. Ultimately, it is easy to pity this helpless wife and mother as she witnesses the end of her world while desperately trying to save the ones she loves.

   

Caesars' Wives

Merecal

Caesars'Wives by Annelise Freisenbruch is an excellent read. It is full of rich historical detail. The author is able to recreate the stories of the women behind the imperial throne despite the fact that there is very little information available and the reconstruction of these women's lives requires a lot of reading between the lines. Freisenbruch's account is neither stuffy or boring, but most importantly it tries to clear up a lot of historical misconceptions. She relates the myths told about Roman's numerous empresses, but also expertly discusses which ones have some credibility. Finally, this is an overall historical account covering not only the lives of Caesars' wives, but also the art and conditions of their respective time periods.

The Forever Queen Review

So I'm finally done with The Forever Queen. It really was an excellent book and I'm looking forward to the US release of its sequel. This book as I mentioned before deals with the life of Emma of Normandy. She was the wife of two kings and the mother of another two. When Emma arrived in England she came as the bride of a cruel man who cared nothing for her or her feelings. her only friends died young and she had no one to turn to. However, Emma was a survivor and extremely clever. She was able to get the love and support of the people, who passionately hated her weak husband. Emma braved exile and returned to England in triumph. Then when everything seemed lost Emma found true happiness with the man who was once her greatest enemy, Cnut, king of Denmark. Cnut appreciated Emma's spirit and character. Their marriage was a time of great happiness for her and his unexpected death left her heartbroken. All her hopes now went into their son. Her goal became seeing him made king of England, a positon he didn't want.Yet, at the end of the novel Emma's plans are destroyed by her son's death and the ascension of her eldest son by her first husband, Edward known to history as the Confessor. Throughout the novel, Emma's hatred for her children from her previous marriage is explained through her feelings towards their father. even the conception of the children was a source of pain. Finally, Emma never really got a chance to know the boy who was sent to Normandy for his safety. AT the conclusion of Forever Queen, Emma may be down, but she's not out. This powerful matriarch is not yet willing to give up her power and crown. 

The Forever Queen

Hellen Hollick.net

Have just started this book, but it seems great, one of the best reads in a while. The story is about the life of Emma, queen of England and sister of the duke of Normandy. I have always found her a fascinating woman and have questioned what it was that made her choose her second family over her first, in essence abandoning her own son to fate.  For me reading a book written from the perspective of a woman of power is really fascinating since so much of history seems to focus on men. This way the reader gets to see the other side of the story sometimes allowing so biases to be corrected. Hopefully the rest of the book doesn't prove to be disappointing, but it's definitely off to a good start.

HBO Series Rome

The  Full Wiki

Monsters and Critics

From CamMag

For some reason this series has been coming up in conversation so I thought it would be a good idea to blog about it. Rome which spans from the rise of Julius Caesar to the rise of Augustus, is told not from the view of the aristocracy, but from the common man. Two soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo by a stroke of luck or some might think misfortune, are noticed by Caesar and later develop close connections with his grand-nephew and his second in command. This series shows Rome not as an ideal society, but drags it from its pedestal revealing the rampant corruption and the scheming that occurs behind closed doors.   It makes the empire more relatible and its leaders more human. It's full of passion and lots of action plus there are some twists on historical mysterious such as was Caesar really the father of Cleopatra's son. For me the most interesting part was the relationships between the characters and the transformation of Octavian from a child to an authoritarian dictator as well as the way that his experiences led him down that path. Finally, the show highlights the power and ambition of Roman women. They are the movers of many key events and can be quite vicious. These are not submissive wives and mothers, but power brokers each lusting to be on top. In essence it is the actions of women like Atia of the Julia and Servilla of the Juni that help shape the course of history. Supporters of powerful women may at times be shocked, but definitely not disappointed.