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Siméon-Prosper Hardy (1729-1806) was a bookseller on the rue Saint-Jacques in Paris, a well-known figure in Jansenist circles. Adrien Duquesnoy (1759-1808) was an elected deputy of the Third Estate (commoners) to the Estates-General that met at Versailles in May 1789. The two wrote hundreds of pages of notes, observations, testimonies and descriptions of events, which have been extensively researched by Pascal Bastien (Hardy) and Guillaume Mazeau (Duquesnoy). Often presented as “diaries,” the manuscripts mainly comprise notes to be shared in the form of booklets, letters or public readings, within each one's respective networks. As a member for the (Paris) district of Mathurins, Hardy in April 1789 participated in the Third Estate assemblies, assiduously following the work at Versailles. Hardy and Duquesnoy thus provide an interesting play of mirrors, reflecting the views from Paris and Versailles. The widely differing testimonies on the same events yield a much more complex view of the Revolution than our generally distilled version. These parallel accounts of the Revolution from May to October 1789 make it possible to understand the unfolding of events and the different observations and timelines from two “ordinary revolutionaries.” A parallel look at writing practices, the historical awareness and the actual citizenry are also presented through direct writings on these early months of the Revolution.
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This article examines how the battle of Austerlitz (December 2, 1805) became a symbol of Napoleonic power. It argues that this happened through deliberate propaganda efforts, with a carefully crafted written version of the events leading to the battle, found in the 30th bulletin de la Grande Armée, as well as three paintings commissioned by Napoleon in March 1806, not long after the close of the successful 1805 campaign. The fame of the battle was forged by Napoleon himself by way of a text/image system that constructs its own authority and veracity. The images commissioned and created repeat what was read in the bulletin in different genres. The bulletin and the three paintings, by Louis-François Lejeune, Louis-Albert-Guislain Bacler d'Albe, and François Gérard successfully work together to sanction a unique version of events intended for posterity, one in which the eve of the battle occupies a prominent place.