Abstracts
Abstract
A surprising majority of the existing images of Joseph Bologne, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, were created during a short period from 1789- 1791, and are essentially the result of his visit to London for a fencing exhibition match organized for the Prince of Wales by the Duc d’Orleans and his political operatives. The scarcity of French- origin images of Le Chevalier, so celebrated during his lifetime in France as a musician, composer, musical director, and fencing master, is perplexing. Why is this the case? Perhaps it can be explained in part by the French visual culture at the time, characterized by censorship and intolerance in the visual arts, in stark contrast to a popular print culture in England that tolerated political and social commentary and even satire, creating a market for prolific production and enthusiastic consumption by the British public.
Keywords:
- politics of representation,
- 18th century,
- Le Chevalier,
- Saint-Georges,
- France,
- England
Résumé
Une majorité surprenante des images existantes de Joseph Bologne, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, ont été créées pendant une courte période entre 1789 et 1791, et sont essentiellement le résultat de sa visite à Londres pour un match d'escrime organisé pour le prince de Galles par le duc d'Orléans et ses agents politiques. La rareté des images d'origine française du Chevalier, si célèbre de son vivant en France en tant que musicien, compositeur, directeur musical et maître d'armes, est déconcertante. Pourquoi en est-il ainsi ? Cela s'explique peut-être en partie par la culture visuelle française de l'époque, caractérisée par la censure et l'intolérance dans les arts visuels, qui contrastait fortement avec la culture populaire de l'imprimé en Angleterre, qui tolérait les commentaires politiques et sociaux, voire la satire, créant ainsi un marché propice à une production prolifique et à une consommation enthousiaste de la part du public britannique.
Mots-clés :
- politique de la représentation,
- 18e siècle,
- Le Chevalier,
- France,
- Angleterre
Appendices
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