Marie Antoinette Exhibit Traces the Tastes and Tragedy of a Misunderstood Queen
The Associated Press Published: March 13, 2008
PARIS: Condemned to death at the guillotine, a sleepless Marie Antoinette scrawled a farewell message to her son and daughter in her prayer book. "My eyes have no more tears to weep for you, my poor children; adieu, adieu!"
Was Marie Antoinette really the haughty, scatterbrained spendthrift she is often remembered as? A fascinating new exhibit in Paris uses artifacts and portraits to trace the life of a frivolous girl who became a patroness of the decorative arts and a loving mother.
Highlights of "Marie Antoinette," which opens Saturday at the Grand Palais, include the queen's childhood sketches, the refined furniture and porcelain she commissioned and revolutionary pamphlets portraying her as a sex-crazed monster. One of the final exhibits is the prayer book, where she wrote a note begging God's pity and saying goodbye to her children at 4:30 a.m. as she awaited execution, at age 37.
for the full story, including pictures, go to
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/13/arts/Art-Marie-Antoinette.php
PARIS: Condemned to death at the guillotine, a sleepless Marie Antoinette scrawled a farewell message to her son and daughter in her prayer book. "My eyes have no more tears to weep for you, my poor children; adieu, adieu!"
Was Marie Antoinette really the haughty, scatterbrained spendthrift she is often remembered as? A fascinating new exhibit in Paris uses artifacts and portraits to trace the life of a frivolous girl who became a patroness of the decorative arts and a loving mother.
Highlights of "Marie Antoinette," which opens Saturday at the Grand Palais, include the queen's childhood sketches, the refined furniture and porcelain she commissioned and revolutionary pamphlets portraying her as a sex-crazed monster. One of the final exhibits is the prayer book, where she wrote a note begging God's pity and saying goodbye to her children at 4:30 a.m. as she awaited execution, at age 37.
for the full story, including pictures, go to
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/13/arts/Art-Marie-Antoinette.php
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