-
14. The Christmas Eve of 1647 in the Journal des Jésuites
By Weiao Xing (@WeiaoX) ‘On Christmas Eve, at night, we assembled as usual, that is to say, at half past eleven; we sang hymns and canticles […]’. In 1647 in Québec, a group of French Jesuits gathered, probably illuminated by candlelight, chanting a repertoire of sacred songs to celebrate Christmas. ‘At the end of Te Deum,…
-
21. “Holy Dolls”: The Christ Child
by Ellie Johnson (@elliejohns0n1) In 2017, the Madonnas and Miracles exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge featured a wooden doll of the Christ child. This near life-size statuette was the first object visitors encountered in the gallery.
-
Folk Wisdom and Slovak Winter Sayings
By Vanesa Djibrilova Every culture has its own wisdom summed up in catchy short phrases that are easy to remember. Sayings and proverbs are a form of practical and moral guidance, as cultures present their own understanding of the human experience, crystallised into idioms and folk sayings. Over time, I have been confronted by the…
-
‘Marie Antoinette’: the true stories behind the BBC/Canal+ drama
By Zara Kesterton, @zarakesterton Warning: Contains spoilers! On 29 December 2022, the BBC released its new historical drama about the life of French queen Marie-Antoinette, which was produced in association with Canal+ and written by The Favourite’s Deborah Davis. I am currently writing my PhD on fashion during the reign of Marie-Antoinette, so I was intrigued to see…
-
Pearly Queens: Eleonora di Toledo vs. Elizabeth I
By Ellie Doran (@Elena_Doran) Figure 1 (left): Agnolo Bronzino, Ritratto di Eleonora di Toledo con il figlio Giovanni, (c.1544-45), oil on panel, 115 x 96cm, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, 1890 n.748. Available here: https://www.uffizi.it/opere/%2Feleonora-di-toledo Figure 2 (right): Unknown English artist, The Armada Portrait, (c. 1588), oil on panel, 97.8 x 72.4 cm, National Portrait Gallery, London, NPG 541. Available here: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw02077/Queen-Elizabeth-I Elizabeth I,…
doinghistoryinpublic.org 