Introduction to French Culture 1600-1800

French Monarchy King Louis XIV (1638-1715) was the model for absolute monarchy in Europe. He had total control over every art of the French government. He reigned for 72 years. The French flag used in New France, the empire in North America during 1604 – 1763, had three gold fleurs-de-lis on a white background. It was based on the French Royal Banner first used in the late 1300s. White was the French royal color beginning about 1600. Source: http://www.worldbookonline.com/ Louis XIV in a portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud.

Charles Perrault (1628-1703) French writer, born in Paris He became a high-ranking civil servant and a member of the French Academy under King Louis XIV. Best known for a book of fairy tales he collected, Tales of Mother Goose. The collection, published under his son's name in 1697, includes "Sleeping Beauty,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” "Bluebeard,” “Puss in Boots,” and “Cinderella.” Source: http://www.worldbookonline.com

Wealth and Extravagance Conspicuous wealth was a way to demonstrate power. This was seen in the spending to build the King’s palace at Versailles. The Palace of Versailles was built during the 1600s as the royal residence of France and has 1,300 rooms. Landscaping of the Palace of Versailles may have been the greatest achievement of the French landscape designer Andre Le Notre, who designed extravagant gardens for some of the greatest chateaux in France from 1650-1700. Source: http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/extmedia?id=a r583770&st=gardens+at+versailles&em=pc305325 Photo by Pierre Berger, Photo Researchers Chateau of Versailles from the East (1668), oil painting by Pierre Patel (Bridgeman Art Library © photo by Peter Willi)

Fashion Outlandish dress and extravagant social display were expected. Corsets were mainly worn during the Enlightenment and Victorian periods to make the waist look smaller. “A stomacher is worn over the breast or chest. At one time it was fashionable for both women and men to wear stomachers. Women's stomachers were often highly ornamented.” Source: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/cinderella/notes.html Woman wearing stomacher and corset. http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=204390;type=101 Above: stomacher Right: corset www.metmuseum.org

Social Gatherings Balls were exclusively for the privileged or wealthy. Participants dressed in their finest apparel. “Perrault's experience and interest in fancy dress is emphasized in his version of Cinderella. He provides more detail and description of the ball clothes than most other versions of the tale.” Source: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/cinderella/notes.html

Gold, Silver and Glass Fine glass was a sign of conspicuous wealth. Venetian glassmakers created fine art for European aristocracy for centuries. Gold and silver are precious metals, therefore they have always been signs of wealth. Glass mirrors were a sign of luxury and wealth.

Symbols of Wealth: Lemons, Oranges, and Citrus Fruit Citrons are lemons. Citrus fruit was a sign of wealth, as it needed to be refrigerated. During the 1600s, access had been limited, if not cut off, due to Muslim control of North Africa and Spain. Spain was fully restored to Christian control in 1493, but citrus would have remained expensive. Serving this fruit would have been another sign of conspicuous wealth. Source: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/cinderella/notes.html

Symbols of Poverty: Rats, Mice, and Pumpkins Mice and rats represent connections to poverty. Pumpkins were cheap, accessible food during 1600 France. They were connected with poverty. The carriage in “Cinderella; or The Glass Slipper” could demonstrate Cinderella stepping out of her status, which would have been a great violation of social protocol.

Religion Catholicism and Absolutism both required strict obedience. In 17th Century France everyone would have been guided by both of these ideologies. Strict obedience to the aristocracy, the monarchy, and the Catholic Church would have been expected, even demanded. This expectation would have been extended to the family, including godparents. Godparents were moral and spiritual guidance for godchildren and were expected to raise the child if they became orphaned Source: http://www.worldbookonline.com

Belief in Fairies and the Supernatural “In general, fairy godmothers are supernatural benefactors to their human charges.” The fairy godmother figure is derived from the three Fates who were thought to visit a newborn baby and bestow good or ill fortune upon it…The fairy godmother is a wholly benevolent character, however, while the Fates were capable of causing good or evil to occur.” Source: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/cinderella/notes.html