“Let’s not waste time. You’ll do it more easily when I’m dead. Let’s get it over with as soon as possible!” These were the last words spoken by Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, addressed to his executioner on the scaffold as the latter tried to remove his boots before guillotining him. The condemned man […]
French Revolution
Posted inMiddle Ages
French Women Had More Power in the Middle Ages Than After the Revolution
In the 14th century, power in Europe was largely in the hands of the aristocracy. Surprisingly, one-fifth of the rulers were women. Historian Erika Graham-Goering, a specialist in medieval power in France during this period, explains that women’s influence was significant and, in many cases, on par with men. According to Graham-Goering, power in the […]
Posted inArt, Modern Era
Joseph Ducreux, the Painter Who Created the Most Extravagant Self-Portraits in History
In another article, we talked about the tronie, a type of caricature portrait practiced by Dutch Golden Age painters. In the following century, it was a French artist who revived this interest in breaking away from academicism, creating some highly expressive portraits through gestures. Thus, the subjects appear laughing, asking for silence, pointing with a […]
Posted inModern Era
Larrey, the French Surgeon who Created the First Ambulance Service, Treating Allies and Foes at Waterloo
June 18, 1815. Napoleon’s attempt to rebuild his empire, after escaping exile on the island of Elba and regaining control of France, came to an abrupt and disastrous end near a place called Mont Saint-Jean, which has gone down in history as the Battle of Waterloo. During the retreat, Prussian soldiers captured him while trying […]
Posted inHistory
Phrygian Cap, a Symbol of Freedom Based on Historical Confusion
A peculiar headwear, shaped like a conical hood with a curved tip, mistakenly became a symbol of freedom and republicanism between the 18th and 19th centuries, following its spread during the French Revolution. As a result, many American states also incorporated it into their emblems upon emancipating from Spanish rule. This is the Phrygian cap. […]
Posted inModern Era
What’s the origin of the right and left terms in politics?
Why do we use the terms right and left in politics to identify ideologies or concepts on a one-dimensional axis? Everything has its origin in the French Revolution
