Tag Archives: France

1973: Self-Translation

Posted on January 23, 2018 by corvusfugit

Born in Ireland, Samuel Beckett wrote almost exclusively in French after moving to Paris in 1939. He would then translate his novels and plays into English. He wrote the following sentence in his 1946 short story “Premier amour”: Personnellement je … Continue reading →

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1866: Waterspout

Posted on January 23, 2018 by corvusfugit

Gustave Courbet: The Waterspout (1866)

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1987: Cultural Differences

Posted on January 14, 2018 by corvusfugit

[In France], F, her husband, and her daughter, who are preparing to leave a party, are standing in the foyer saying goodbye. As she leaves, F has a “minor accident”: while putting on her coat, her hand brushes against a … Continue reading →

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1838: Matua Tawai

Posted on December 28, 2017 by corvusfugit

Alexandre Pierre Marie Dumoutier: plaster cast of Matua Tawai, a New Zealander of Ikanamawi (1838) Moulage sur nature became a powerful freezing and fixation tool used to document a natural and even human hic et nunc status. In the great … Continue reading →

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1911: Portrait

Posted on December 22, 2017 by corvusfugit

Félix Vallotton: Seated Black Woman, Front View (1911)

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1457: The Book of the Love-Smitten Heart

Posted on December 16, 2017 by corvusfugit

In the early 15th century, King René of Anjou’s devotion to the courtly arts and literature flourished only after decades of conflict, war, and inter-familial drama. He spent years in prison following a struggle for the throne with his older … Continue reading →

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1655: Headless Horsemen

Posted on December 9, 2017 by corvusfugit

In the turmoil of the English Civil War (1642-1651), an engraving based on this portrait of King Charles I underwent a remarkable number of transformations. The original portrait was painted by Anthony van Dyck in 1633 (above). The French engraver … Continue reading →

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1890: The Sea

Posted on December 9, 2017 by corvusfugit

Thomas Alexander Harrison: The Sea. I think this is a photogravure print of one of his paintings. I made up the date.

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1844: The Bridge of Infinities

Posted on December 8, 2017 by corvusfugit

J. J. Grandville: The Bridge of Infinities, an illustration from Un Autre Monde (1844)

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1550: Le Petit Lorrain

Posted on December 7, 2017 by corvusfugit

Ambroise Paré’s designed this mechanical hand—which he named “Le Petit Lorrain” — in the 1550’s for a French Army captain. The thumb is stationary, but a mechanical lever operates the other fingers.  This illustration is taken from a 1663 edition … Continue reading →

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