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Hannah Rose Williams's avatar

It's curious how little it took to "shock" the art world back then! As with the Pre Raphaelites who, from our perspective, were making perfectly harmless paintings of Jesus. Now it seems every artist is trying to be shocking and nobody can be shocked. Funny, that!

Sorry I have not been keeping up. I enjoy your articles!

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Hannah Rose Williams's avatar

Uh. I was trying to write this on the Monet article. I don't know how this happened lol

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Jenn's avatar

Thanks for a good retelling of the complicated history of the Napoleons and France!

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Hot History's avatar

Napoleon III was in office when the French Impressionists made their paintings. I'll do an art history article about them soon!

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Jenn's avatar

Sounds very interesting, thanks for the heads up, I’ll be on the lookout for it!

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The Rake's avatar

Even if i have my issues with the First Napoleon and the whole Revolutionary Logic, a friend of mine really brought me around when it comes to Napoleon III. Especially when it came to restoring Chateaux, Building a proper Capital and Trying to bring back Flair and Style from the French past by not looking at the effeminate 18th century but at the honorable 17th instead. One could not look at the man and not spot his Musketeer Moustache.

Ultimately he tried to do the unthinkable: Bringing back a version of Monarchy that was both fashionable and efficient. And honestly? i applaud him for the attempt (and i believe were i born in the mid 19th century, i would wholeheartedly support him).

Prussia proved to be his undoing, and just 80 years later, Prussia would be completely undone.

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