Second international symposium on the theme “The medals of Louis XIV and their book” organised by the Centre de recherche du château de Versailles and the University of Le Havre, from 24 to 26 May 2018 at the Palace of Versailles.
The international symposium Les médailles de Louis XIV et leur livre, organised by the University of Le Havre, the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) Department of Coins, Medals and Antiques, and the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres on the three hundredth anniversary of the death of Louis XIV, took place in the Richelieu building of the BnF from Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 April 2015. It brought together twenty-four specialists on the king and his medals. The proceedings were published in 2016 by Presses universitaires de Rouen et du Havre. These consisted of a study of the principles of composition that governed the production of royal medals and their book (1702, 2nd edition 1723), the themes presented in it, and, last but not least, the international dissemination of these two methods of absolutist propaganda created by the Petite Académie, forerunner of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.
Following the success of the first symposium, a second symposium with the same title will be held at the Palace of Versailles from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 May 2018. Once again, the medals - the most numerous ever created for one monarch - will be studied from all possible angles. The importance that this monarch and his government attached to this method of propaganda, intended to last for centuries, should not be underestimated. Its influence on later production is clear. It is an error of modern appreciation that it should be relegated to the status of a narrow specialism. The book in itself provokes analysis, through its preparatory academic debates by protagonists who deserve more recognition, and through its results. Moreover, it went on to have an enduring impact, from the Médailles du règne de Louis XV by Nicolas Godonnesche (1748) to the Médailles sur les principaux événements de l’Empire de Russie by P. Ricaud de Tiregale (1772) (two works which were not considered at the first symposium). History, literary history, history of art and the history of the book will all be examined to throw light on this monument to the Grand Siècle.
The majority of the participants at the first symposium plan to attend the second, but it is open to all proposals while places remain available.
Jean-Pierre Babelon (Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres), Yves-Marie Bercé (Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres), Peter Burke (Professor, Emanuel College, université de Cambridge), Marie-Claude Canova-Green (Professor, Goldsmith’s College, université de Londres), Frédérique Duyrat (Director, Cabinet des médailles, BnF), Torsten Fried (Professor Doctor, Münzkabinett, Schwerin, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität, Greifswald), Mark Hengerer (Professor Doctor, université de Munich), Jérôme Jambu (curator, Cabinet des médailles, BnF), Sir Mark Jones (Master, Saint Cross College, Université d’Oxford, Former direcor of the Victoria & Albert Museum), Yvan Loskoutoff (Professor, université du Havre, Académie des Jeux floraux), Alexandre Maral (General curator for Heritage, château de Versailles), James Mosley (Professor, université de Reading), François Ploton-Nicollet (Professor, École nationale des chartes), Hélène Rabaey (Lecturer, université du Havre), Andrea Saccocci (Professor, université d’Udine), Eric Saunier (Lecturer, université du Havre), Marie-Christine Skuncke (Professor, université d’Uppsala), Laurent Stéfanini (Ambassador to UNESCO, Académie des sciences morales et politiques, Académie des Jeux floraux, Société française de numismatique), Inès Villela-Petit (Curator, Cabinet des médailles, BnF).
Participants at the previous symposium:
New participants:
Symposium languages: French, English, Italian.
40-minute papers.
Proposals (CV and 1 page summary of the paper) to be emailed to Yvan Loskoutoff before 1 September 2017.