The Long Eighteenth Century
Master Crewe as Henry VIII
A recent rabbit hole in the peculiar world of “Cute Studies” led me to this unlikely and delightful eighteenth century painting by Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792),[1] which was inspired by Hans Holbein’s sixteenth century portrait of Henry VIII. I was temped to share the two images with no commentary, but one rabbit hole led to another.…
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Rebel of the Regency
I’ve been following Ann Foster around the internet for awhile now. In her popular podcast, Vulgar History, and now in her substack Vulgar History A La Carte, Foster uses wit and impeccable research to shine the light on historical women whose stories have been forgotten or told through a misogynist lens. Obviously this is my…
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Fairy Tales, Pt. 4 Madame d’Aulnoy Coins the Term “contés de fees”(fairy tales)
As best I can tell, Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness[1] d’Aulnoy (1652-1705) led a wild life. At the age of 13, she was married to the Baron d’Aulnoy, who was a “freethinker,”[2] a gambler, and thirty years her senior. Three years and three children later, her husband was accused of treason. The accusations were…
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