 | Among the images on display in the Sterling Library show accompanying the Napoleon conference is "The Emperor Napoleon in his lesser coronation regalia" from Frederic Masson's "Livre du sacre de l'empereur Napolon Masson" (Paris, 1908). |
The Department of French and the Whitney Humanities Center will hold an international conference Friday-Saturday, Dec. 3-4, to commemorate the bicentennial of the coronation of Napoleon, which took place at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Dec. 2, 1804.
Titled "Napoleon's Legacies: 1804-2004," the conference will gather eminent scholars from diverse disciplines to examine the lasting cultural, socio-political and legal impact of the French emperor from a global perspective.
Revered by some as an enlightened statesman and reviled by others as a ruthless conqueror, Napoleon I left a lasting legacy stretching beyond the boundaries of his empire. His contributions include the Napoleonic Code enforcing ideals of the French Revolution, which has influenced legal systems throughout the world; and a standardized system of education, which has been a model for democratic societies. His granting full equality and freedom to Jews is also viewed as an historic milestone of religious tolerance. The "Empire Style," which has come back in fashion several times since the Napoleonic era, is still visible in furniture, public monuments and the layout of major cities -- notably, Washington, D.C.
Participants in the conference will include experts in the fields of literature, law, music, history and art from France, the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as the United States.
The two days of panel discussions and related events will be centered around specific themes: "Napoleon's Legacies in European History and Law," "Napoleon, Colonialism and Slavery," "Napoleon and French Literature," "Napoleon and the Visual Arts" and "The Making of the Napoleon Legend."
An exhibition in conjunction with the conference will be on display in Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High St., from late November through the end of January.
Drawing on collections within Yale's library system as well as the Yale University Art Gallery Numismatic Collection, the display illuminates Napoleon's contributions to military history and theory; French politics; law and administration; exploration and science; and the arts, literature and culture. It also explores the cult of Napoleon.
The conference, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St. For more information, contact Agnes Bolton at (203) 432-4900. For a full schedule of events, visit the website at www.yale.edu/french/Napoleon.htm.
T H I S
Conference and exhibit to
explore legacy of Napoleon
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