#go josefa

[ic-napology]

Murat, styling himself since 1795. I am all in for that💖

Napoleonic daily soap, episode 5: 12 Vendémiaire

Scene: The Tuileries. Evening, torch lights. People running to and fro, soldiers gathering in the courtyard, scared members of the Convention barricading themselves.

Cut to Barras’ improvised war room. A table with a map of Paris. Barras walks up and down behind it, talking to some generals gathered in front of him, among them Brune and Napoleon.

Barras:

„I do not need to tell you, gentlemen, that the situation is dire. I mean, we’re having a real crisis here, with people wanting to kill us. Again. Royalists this time. And as I do not know the first thing about military stuff, I have called for you, so that you can take care…“

Napoleon [cuts him off]:

„Why, of course you would have. And it’s a good thing you did. [walks briskly up to the table and leans over the map, the other generals follow suite, completely ignoring Barras] So, let’s see. The obvious keypoints we have to protect are [points at the map] here, here and here.“

Brune [annoyed]:

„Possibly. But what makes you think you are giving the orders here? Don’t you think you should ask our opinion first?“

Napoleon [astonished]:

„Why? I mean, is there something I overlooked, do you not agree with me?“

Brune:

„No, you’re quite right, it’s just that…“

Napoleon:

„Well, excellent. Listen, Brune, you take a couple of men and position yourself here. The other gentlemen occupy the rest of the positions I have pointed out. [turns around to Barras] And as I am the only artilleryman here, I’ll take care of the canons. We’ll position them right at the entrance of the Tuileries, in order to give those insurgents a proper welcome.“

Barras [awkwardly]

„Well, about those canons… that might be a problem.“

Napoleon:

„What problem?“

Barras:

„We don’t have any.“

Napoleon:

„No canon? But I’m an artillery general. Why did you even call for me then?“

Barras:

„Well, I thought…“

Napoleon [annoyed]:

„I really do not like it when people waste my time. Or when an employer does not even provide the proper tools for the job. I am not used to bringing my own stuff to work, that’s highly annoying. But I can see that you are in deep shit indeed, so I will let it go. Where’s the next artillery depot?“

Barras:

„There are some canons in Sablons, I am told. But I’m afraid the royalists know that, too. They’re probably already on their way to get them. And as they do outnumber us, I doubt you will find somebody dumb… I mean: courageous enough to try and get those canons to Paris before them.“

CUT to new scene: Tuileries courtyard. Darkness, a fire burning. Several cavalrymen holding in the saddle, happily chatting with each other and with some foot soldiers nearby.

Murat [on a horse, proudly tugging at his pelisse, to a soldier]

„So, how do you like it?“

Soldier:

„I do not think it’s in accordance with army regulations for cavalry uniforms.“

Murat [grinning]

Of course it’s not. It has style, unlike our army regulations. Plus, it’s my favourite colour. You have to see it in daylight.

Another cavalryman:

„I have. It’s an eyesore.“

Murat:

„Correction. It would be an eyesore on you. On me, it’s the most fetching piece of clothing one can imagine, and I dare say the ladies will pay much attention to it.“

[Napoleon’s voice from off-screen]

„Hey, you there. On the horse!“

Soldier:

„I think he means you, Murat.“

Murat:

„Impossible. If he meant me, he would have said: Hey, you there, that most handsome and dashing one on the horse! [turns around, beams at Napoleon] What can I do for you, mon général?“

Napoleon [stops to regard him]:

„I do not think your uniform is quite in accordance with army regulations.“

Murat:

„That’s quite possible, sir. We’re cavalry.“

Napoleon:

„Whatever. I have an errand for you. Do you know where Sablons is? I need somebody to go there and pick up some canon for me.“

Murat:

„Sounds easy enough. Where’s the catch?“

Napoleon:

„You have to be back before daylight, and there’s a royalist mob on the way likely to attack you. Do you think you can do it?“

Murat [sits tall in the saddle, with dramatic flourish]:

„How can you even ask me that, general? Do not doubt me, I am Joachim Murat! Here we are, I and my men, to your service, ready to give our blood for the fatherland and its republic, ready to bring those canons here before rose-fingerend Eos awakens the day, or to die trying! Let all impertinent royalists of France stand in my way, let an army of ten thousand waylay us, it will not keep me from doing my sacred duty!“

Napoleon [stares at him open-mouthed, but without a word, as realization sets in]

„You are Gascon.“

Murat [beams, proudly]

„I sure am. [the smile vanishes, he leans down from his horse to Napoleon, in a serious tone] But I will still get you those canons, sir.“

Napoleon [nods]

„Be quick.“

[wisteriasymphony]

Hiya! I’m a bit new to your blog, but I’ve seen a lot about “Claude,” and I’d love to know more about that! Is he from an AU of yours or just an OC?

You know, I could draw a lot of parallels for canon (or pre-canon, in quantic Claude's case) characters to try and set a baseline.

But maybe it's better to just forgo all of that. Claudia isn't truly an "anti-Marinette" (whose main story got published almost over a year before the Paris Special, funnily enough), nor is she an "alternate Lila", or even extremely related to the 'quantic kids' version of Claude Haprele.

She's just.... Claudia.

..full name Claudia Guadalupe Maria Josefa Lopez Cardoso Perreault. I have talked a bit about her starting concept and how she's grown from there, but to sum it up nicely, I was interested in how a much more pessimistic, apathetic character would function in the mlb world.

What if you were too bogged down by your own misery to even bother wanting to 'solve' your problems with an akuma?

What if your first instinct upon recieving a miraculous was to try and put yourself in danger?

In a world where feeling positively is survival and feeling negatively gets people hurt.... what if you feel nothing at all?

Claudia was meant to answer this by having a swarm of akumas that essentially functioned more as a mundane pest problem than anything else. She would just go about her day, largely unrelated to the bigger machinations of Paris, because that was not and never would be her issue,

.....until, uhm. well.

....So turns out she contrasts Adrien in a lot of interesting ways!

So, of course, I started to think about how they would work paired up together.

...A LOT.

whoops. Now, this is barely scratching the surface of Claudia as a character, I could get into her miraculous and how that works, the way tweos handles (or, really, gets around having to handle) its lovesquare (which I think would also be valuable for explaining claudia through her relationship with Adrien), and I could even talk about the changes to Adrien as a character! But I'll save those for other asks. :P

[louisupdates]

[Translated from Spanish]

'Louis, brother, you're already Mexican', Louis Tomlinson concluded his world tour in Mexico

COVERAGE. The British singer closed his world tour 'Faith In The Future' after 97 concerts in 39 countries, ending with three performances in Mexico and his renowned festival 'The Away From Home Festival'.

REGINA ORTIZ IN MÉRIDA

British singer Louis Tomlinson closed his Faith In The Future world tour with a flourish after 97 concerts in 39 countries, ending with three performances in Mexico and his renowned festival The Away From Home Festival.

On June 1, Tomlinson, known for his success "Just Hold On", performed at Curve 4 of the Autodrome Hermanos Rodríguez, becoming the first male soloist to offer a show in that venue, with a capacity of more than 70,000 spectators. The concert was broadcast live through the VEEPS platform, allowing its fans around the world to enjoy the show. In addition, the profits from the entrance fee were donated to the War Child UK organization.

Subsequently, the singer continued his tour in the city of Querétaro, where he offered a more intimate concert for 4,500 people at the Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez Auditorium.

Finally, Louis closed his world tour with a magnificent show at the VFG Arena in Guadalajara. The concert ended in a memorable way when a lucky fan took the stage to take a picture with the singer.

To conclude his time in Mexico, Tomlinson held his famous festival The Away From Home Festival in a warm sunset in the city of Mérida. The event was held at the Hacienda Susulá and was attended by artists such as Rodrigo Leal, Reverend & The Makers, Kevin Kaarl, DMA's, Dylan, Gibby and with an incredible closure, Louis Tomlinson.

Fans demonstrated their euphoria after Louis' departure and chanted the song "The Greatest". The singer also performed "Drag me down", "Night changes" and "Where do broken hearts go", songs from his old band, One Direction. Tomlinson expressed a deep gratitude to his fans for everything they have created.

It is worth mentioning that the relationship between Louis Tomlinson and his Mexican fanatics is undeniably special, as evidenced by the fact that the flag of Mexico has been the only one that the singer has raised during his career as a soloist, on three different occasions.

With this tour, it marks the end of the Faith in the Future World Tour and the beginning of its festival season, in which Tomlinson will participate in more than 15 events throughout the summer. Despite his career, this moment represents a milestone in his career and augurs a bright future.

[sunsolii]

So I had an idea where I take a painting and make a poster based on a design trend I recently discovered. This idea gave way to me creating three posters to whom I like to call the "Big Three" of the community: @joachimnapoleon @josefavomjaaga and @maggiec70 who go out of there way and share information about the people they focus on to us, not only through Tumblr but through the books they've published as well. If it weren't for them, I don't think a lot us could get such fascinating information about these men. That is why I'm dedicating these designs to you:

Sarah-

Josefa-

and Margaret-

I know this is out of nowhere but I am truly grateful for what you guys do! The quote I used for Murat is from Sarah's collection of quotes from those who knew Murat. Josefa, I also want to thank you for providing me the quote for Soult, I'm grateful for your help! Enough of me talking and I do hope you guys like the posters!

[tiny-librarian]

Apart from the Astors, there were at least 6 sets of honeymooners in first class. Daniel Warner Marvin, aged nineteen, son of the owner of the Biograph Cinema Company, was returning to America with his bride, Mary Farquarson, aged eighteen. Lucien P. Smith, aged twenty-four, of Huntington, West Virginia, had recently married eighteen-year-old Mary Eloise Hughes: she bore his posthumous son in December 1912. Victor de Satode Penasco y Castellana, aged eighteen, from Madrid, was going to America with his new wife Maria Josefa Perez de Soto y Valleja, aged seventeen. John P. Snyder, aged twenty-three from Minneapolis, was returning from his European honeymoon with Nelle Stevenson, aged twenty-two. Dickinson Bishop, heir to the Rounf Oak Stove Company, had married in November 1911, and embarked at Cherbourg with his wife Helen after a tour of Mediterranean Europe and Egypt. One newly married couple were both verging on the age of fifty: Dr Henry (or Hyman) Frauenthal, with a high-domed baldness and fulsome black beard, had married in France, as recently as 26 March, Clara Heinsheimer from Cincinnati.

Titanic Lives - Richard Davenport-Hines

[igetthedisneybox]

Encanto middle name headcanons?

I'll just go ahead and type everyone's full names.

Alma Avila Cadenza

Pedro Hernando Madrigal

Julieta Adelaida Madrigal

Josefa "Pepa" Nieves Madrigal

Bruno Buenaventura Madrigal

Isabela Fabiana Madrigal

Dolores Carmen Madrigal

Luisa Valeria Madrigal

Camilo Erik Madrigal

Mirabel Valentína Madrigal

Antonio Ariel Madrigal

Miranda Ileana Madrigal

Amelia Alma Madrigal

Sofía Sara Madrigal

Princesa Florinda Madrigal

Fuega Maria Madrigal

Mariana Bonita Madrigal

Leta Macaria Madrigal

Andrés Amor Madrigal

Carlos Darío Madrigal

Avila Reina Madrigal

Amada Rafaela Madrigal

Tomás Sol Madrigal

Rómulo Luna Madrigal

Zoe Carina Madrigal

Hugo Diego Madrigal

José Roberto Madrigal

Héctor Gregorio Madrigal

Óscar Horacio Madrigal

Beatriz Estefanía Madrigal

Lidia Rosa Madrigal

May or may not change a few of these later.

EDIT: Added Dolores and Mariano's new twins, Avila and Amada.

[bastardtrait]

not...the outcome anyone was hoping to hear i'm afraid.

transcript:

Chapel of Santelmo in the Village

ABRAHAM: (quietly humming a hymn) ANGELO: Abraham. You had something for me.

ABRAHAM: Yes…Sr. Graciela. You grace my chapel once more.

ABRAHAM: (sigh) I fear I don't have good news for you. ANGELO: Don't say that. No. No. You didn't say anything before I came. ABRAHAM: Yes. So you could pay me for my trip to Xelaju on your behalf. That's how this works. ANGELO: That's fucking bullshit! It's bullshit!

ABRAHAM: Do you expect me to make miracles? No man is higher than the Lord. ANGELO: Stop your fucking asinine bullshit about god and tell me what you found. ILLA: (low, antagonistic growl) ABRAHAM: (sigh) Very well. I found a family named Graciela in Xelaju--Quetzaltenango. They are Dominican. Their Josefa…is a very old woman.

ANGELO: (harsh sigh) So what, I just keep going out into that fucking jungle and bring you back shit to pay for you--fumbling around? ABRAHAM, aside: Honestly, Sr. Graciela, I would humour that, but I've come to an end with your investigation. Your mother left Guatemala two years ago. She married a European. She's gone.

ABRAHAM: Now you know damn well I'm not about to get involved with Interpol. So. I'm afraid this is where our involvement ends, Sr. Graciela. It has been…interesting. ANGELO: Eu--Europe?! Where. Where did she go, Abraham? (wince) Where did she go! ABRAHAM: A question for a different man. Obviously she had no desire to be found, least of all by the son she abandoned. (sniff) Goodbye, Angelo.

[kontadodju]

Before the year ends!!! My Traced notes that I said was gonna post - putting then under a cut cuz I don’t want it to be so long on the dashboard 👍🏽

Some vague stuff is mentioned because ultimately I made these notes for myself, but like I said I wanted to share them anyways.

Before the main part, this is what I’ve written as the premise in my notes:

A woman who has always been dissatisfied with her living situation finally leaves for greater things - hoping to find that satisfaction similarly to her peers who had gotten the chance to leave before her. On this path, she comes into contact with a group of three siblings who also should be finding a new path - and inadvertently will be soon.

Pina’s Bio

Tereza DePina is someone who is simply looking to live her life - her way. After feeling limited all her life, she has taken the first steps to her true independence - but isn’t fully confident in where she’s headed. While resourceful and fairly competent, Pina struggles with ideas of what she’s trying to accomplish in the end and how she’s trying to go about it.

She grew up in a human-only town (due to where it was located, size, and time of "world-merge" barrier) with her parents - and also at a small point her paternal grandmother (Josefa) who lived in the town as well. She has some cousins who she knew briefly(ish) when she was younger, but did not see them mostly. As a child and into pre-teenagedom, she did not get along well with others, and in those years got into fights. Towards becoming a teenager, she withdrew from getting into trouble and rather keep to herself to stay out of it. Then as a teenager, she manages this (for the most part?) making some (and her only) connections (besides Josefa), but tensions stay arisen in her home. In her late teens and early 20s, she continues to go towards her independence. From a growling list of events/insighting incidents, she is pushed to rush to the final step and leaves her town to carve her life on her own - for better or worse.

Thala’s Bio

Thalasecre Dizayst is someone driven by the desire to be the best - to please. Despite their efforts, they go about their life feeling undervalued and thus continue to push further and further. Thala aims to prove themself by any means - often to their own detriment and with no gains.

Thala grew up with their siblings and “watchers” (? I don't know the dynamics with them) in a small-mid Jeraferase city that tends towards more isolation than most (in part due to the world merge barrier, but not primarily, as it fell a bit earlier than average). As a child, Thala was evaluated for their power and it was found that it was a useful powerful one for its purpose. However, it was soon apparent that they had no control at all, and thus was unable to use it and it became "useless". They became ignored from this, and as they grew they would continue to put efforts to be "useful" in any other way necessary. From this, they never develop any interest, hobby, non-technical skill, or overall identity, and come off badly to others and repeatedly always feel left out of life. Despite this, they keep going down this same path until everything is flipped on its head, and they now have to create a new path they never thought of at all.

Anase’s Bio

Anaseitone Dizayst is someone who desires for everything to go right - just so it will be out of the way so she can relax. Despite trying to follow an orderly routine to keep things in line, she easily bores of it and wishes for it to control her life no more. Anase does typically get things in order after there's been some sort of ordeal. Despite her stress over things going right (and maintaining her "image" of excellence), Anase always in the end is confident in herself and that she could figure out a way to get what she wants and sees as what she deserves.

As a child, Anase had her power evaluated as extremely useful for its purpose. From this, "authorities" (idk what word I want to use) gave her much attention for her proficiency in her powers and ranked her as a priority type of person / high rank "asset". This was a sort of "golden cage" situation, and she rarely did much she wanted, and simultaneously overthink what to do to keep everything "perfect" outside of her true wants for her life. When everything is flipped on its head, Anase now gets the opportunity to get to do more of what she truly wants. But without the guidance of expectation, the question becomes will she succeed in finding her place, or will she end up back into old habits she even dislikes?

Ozan’s Bio

Ozanocma Dizayst is someone with no direction - and doesn't desire for one. Easily bored and easily entertained, he is always going toward his own interest - and away from supposed responsibilities. The only thing Ozan wants is fun and leisure - for himself, but also his siblings, which does not always goes well with a focus on "work" they are meant to be doing.

As a child, Ozan was evaluated for his power, and it was found to be powerful for (and outside of) its purpose. Initially, he was seen as a "high rank asset" type of person, but as he kept using his power, he became disinterested in using it beyond for his own purposes, and his "rank" lowered as he practiced less and followed less direction. He doesn't find for there to be a reason for him - or anyone - to use their powers to the "authorities"(?) benefit and contributes as little as possible. When things became flipped on their head, Ozan sees it as getting what he wanted, but its to be seen if that will be true.

[impetuous-impulse]

Ruthless Representatives, Unjust Executions (3/3): Jourdan on the Death List

This is an addendum to the previous two parts of the series, which is in response to @josefavomjaaga's original post about Soult's account on Saint-Just condemning execution an artillery captain. In that post, Josefa also mentions that Soult talks about a proscription list Saint-Just had drawn up in case the French suffered defeat at Fleurus, including the commander-in-chief Jourdan and Soult himself.

I am suspicious of Soult's claim that Saint-Just had a death list he would enact in the event that Fleurus went badly, much less one with Soult's name on it. I doubt Saint-Just even acknowledged that Soult was a political threat, though the only evidence I have of this is the dearth of Soult in vol 2 of. the Œuvres completes of Saint-Just. Soult's name does not show up once, not even for promotion or praise; only that of his commander Lefebvre does. Soult's anecdote, however, led me to look into Saint-Just's correspondence with Jourdan, the other named member of this proscription list, and examine the veracity of Soult's statement regarding Jourdan. All translation errors are my own.

I think official correspondence, where one is required to be formal, rarely proves the emity between two parties unless they were spectacular rivals. That said, one would think the cordial tone Saint-Just uses when writing to Jourdan, then commanding the Army of the Moselle, would make Jourdan's inclusion in the proscription list dubious. Here is a letter of 8 priarial an II/27 May 1794, where Saint-Just broaches the idea of besieging Charleroi:

The representative of the people of the Army of the Nord to General Jourdan, commander-in-chief of the army of the Moselle. I received your various dispatches. I pray that you continue to regulate your movements with this [Saint-Just's] army; we are still following the river Sambre, today our camp occupies the Tombe. We will try to seize Charles-le-Roi; you will take, without doubt, Dinant; then a corps of the army, which we will form at Maubeuge, will march on Mons, and another on Brussels. I embrace my dear colleagues [representatives] Gillet and Duquesnoy. (p. 418)

It is impossible to deny that Saint-Just is domineering in this letter, daring to order Jourdan to do this and that when he has no military experience to justify it. Some writers, like Colonel Phipps in his series The Armies of the First Republic..., have interpreted this kind of civilian "meddling" as Saint-Just setting Jourdan up to fail. If so, the lengths Saint-Just goes to do so is odd. In Saint-Just's Œuvres, in a post-script to the letter to the Committee of Public Safety in Paris (pp. 419-420), Saint-Just mentions that he is writing to Jourdan every other day. He may have known nothing of soldiering, but being so hands-on with his correspondence implies he is rather anxious for Jourdan's success instead. (This is not to say he did not clash with Jourdan as Saint-Just tried to command him on military matters.)

Furthermore, Jourdan had survived as a commander of the Nord without death or disgrace. The Committee had already had a chance to behead him when they drew up a dimissal and arrest warrant for him. Instead, they ended up letting him go with a pension, indicating they still had trust in him.

It is also telling that, when difficulties occurred during the Siege of Charleroi, Saint-Just did not threaten Jourdan with arrest immediately. Once again, I reference Fischer's study of Jourdan during the Revolution. Fischer recounts that the revolutionary army suffered a defeat in 16 June 1794 during an Austrian army counterattack, because Lefebvre had run out of ammunition, pulled back, and Jourdan was forced to retreat (pp. 208-211). The revolutionary army suffered an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 casualties. To quote Fischer on what happened next:

Jacobin General; Jean Baptiste Jourdan and the French Revolution; 1792 - 1799. (Volumes I and II).

Jourdan's meeting with St. Just that night could not have been terribly pleasant. Although he promised the Committee that the army would take its revenge, a defeat was a defeat. Typically St. Just wanted to resume the offensive the very next day. Jourdan wished to rest the army for a few days, allowing them to replenish their provisions and ammunition. He also wished to attack elsewhere, because he was not happy with the tactical problems involved in besieging Charleroi. While he was ready to renew the offensive immediately as St. Just desired, he wrote that they "could do so more advantageously at another point." He promised to confer with St. Just and the other representatives to decide what to do. But St. Just and his colleagues were determined to continue to attack in the Charleroi sector. They granted Jourdan twenty-four hours to rest the army, and then the offensive was to recommence. (pp. 211-212)

Saint-Just, though portrayed by soldiers as guillotine-happy, did not "blow up" and condemn anyone for this seemingly random defeat. In this passage, Saint-Just does try to command Jourdan to do his bidding, but he is also capable of compromises. Lefevbre, partially responsible for the defeat, also seems to receive no consequential punishment. If Saint-Just wanted to accuse reluctant generals for cowardice and scapegoat someone for this setback, who better than Lefevbre and his chief-of-staff Soult, whose men somehow ran out of ammunition? As it stands, neither of their careers were affected by this incident.

In addition, at what points were officers more likely to be thrown in the brig or mount the scaffold? If the representatives wanted manpower, then we should note that officers were not universally condemned after a campaign when they could be substituted, nor were all the arrested universally executed. Even if they were dismissed, they could later gain employment. I think because the exceptions made more of an impression, the circulation of the executed officers' fates among the army exaggerated the (undeniable) injustice of the revolutionary military system.

In the end, after the success of Charleroi, Saint-Just gave credit to officers where it was due. While rumours swirled about Saint-Just condemning artillery captain Méras to death and threatening arrests of officers, he praised various officers, including Marescot of the artillery, in glowing terms to the Committee of Public Safety. As the Œuvres present:

On the 28th of last month, the army marched, one hour from the beginning, to meet the enemy; the enemy, at the same time, was marching on us. We met. The fog was thick; the fighting was terrible until three o'clock in the afternoon. The left, commanded by the brave General Kléber, worked wonders; general of brigade Duhesme distinguished himself there.The center fought the same way. General Dubois charged at the head of the cavalry, took five hundred prisoners, took seven pieces of cannon, and massacred seven to eight hundred men. The vanguard, commanded by General Lefebvre, had equal success and showed the same courage. A battalion of grenadiers charged the enemy cavalry three times and caused great carnage. Our gunners charged as hussars, and took back their cannons, which had been taken from them during the fog. […]  On the 30th, the siege of Charleroi was retaken with more determination than ever. The engineer officer Marescot did himself much honor by the activity with which he carried out the work. Artillery burned the city to ashes. […]  Jourdan must send you the honorable articles by which you will see that the pride of the house of Austria has come under the yoke. The prisoner garrison is three thousand men. We found fifty pieces of cannon. The place is in powder and is nothing more than a post. [...] (pp. 440-441)

As Saint-Just lauded figures he allegedly attacked, such as Marescot, and "defeated" generals such as Lefebvre, I am not particularly inclined to believe that Saint-Just was utterly ruthless. Still, a more balanced assessment of Saint-Just and Jourdan's relationship is in order. Let me close this post by quoting Fischer, who has studied this matter more in-depth:

Jourdan claimed in his memoirs that he once again felt as if he were fighting with a guillotine suspended over his head; one failure would cause the blade to fall. Undoubtedly he felt interfered with; he wrote no letters to the Committee after Fleurus praising St. Just's aid as he had after Wattignies praising Carnot's. St. Just's feelings towards Jourdan are more difficult to penetrate. At no point did he actually complain about Jourdan's generalship, indicating that perhaps their disagreements had not disturbed him as much as they had disturbed Jourdan. [...] Furthermore, St. Just was on excellent terms with Rene Gillet. It is unlikely that he would have been so friendly with such a close colleague of Jourdan if he had Jourdan marked for death. Even so it is hard to predict what would have occurred had he been defeated. St. Just might not have shown compassion for a general who had disagreed with him repeatedly, and who had compounded his sin by losing a battle. (pp. 218-219)

I hope that this series has been enjoyable to all who read it. A huge thank you to everyone who has read and supported this series, and as usual, feel free to add comments or additional information!

[immanuelillustrative]

"What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?

And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."

- Jesus Christ, Matthew 18:12

Painting "The Sacrificial Lamb" by Josefa de Ayala, 1670-1684.

[mentaldiary-ah]

Women fighters, in fiction and in reality, have always fascinated me.

I grew up never getting tired of The Mummy Returns (2001) and its action-packed adventures. It features one of my most favorite cinematic moments: the fight scene between Nefertiri and Anck-su-namun, both tasked to be protectors in the kingdom of Egypt some 3,000 years ago. One may think they must be ahead of their time for training women for battle and assigning such tasks to them.

Fight scene from The Mummy Returns (2001)

There are many other scenes in the said film showing both women as their 1930s reincarnation, Evy (Nefertiri) and Meela (Anck-su-namun), fighting with and among men. Not once did Rick, Evy's husband, handed over guns to her to help them battle the enemies and save their son. Their kind of relationship was yet another reason why I have always loved that film.

Seeing The Mummy Returns again for the nth time, I figured these female characters have played a significant part in my upbringing. They showed me women can fight, too, when it was most needed. They didn't have to be the stereotypical damsels in distress waiting to be rescued because they can save themselves while saving others, as well. In retrospect, at such a young age I knew I wanted to be like them. I wasn't very much into the princess thingy, except for the Xena the Warrior Princess kind. In fact, I once dreamed of becoming like the Power Rangers with all their skills and stunts.

Through the years, I have been learning more about Filipinas who left their mark in our history. In an era of a patriarchal society where women were reinforced to be homemakers & deemed as the lesser sex, there were several of them who strayed against the conventions and took part in the never-ending fight for freedom.

Illustrations of Gabriela Silang (by Carlito Rovira) (top) and the first female general Agueda Kahabagan (from SCOUT Magazine) (bottom) during the Philippine Revolution

One of them was notorious for polishing her nails and putting on red lipstick before going to battle, because she believed she also fought for the freedom to be herself as a woman. Another one used to be a movie superstar until the war. She joined the guerrilla movement to avenge for her husband's murder, and in the process she saved an entire village from being killed by the colonizers.

The women of HUKBALAHAP (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon), clockwise from left:

Remedios Gomez-Paraiso AKA Kumander Liwayway and her red lipstick (art from Rejected Princesses); Carmen Rosales, movie star-turned guerilla fighter (from Flickr); Felipa Culala AKA Kumander Dayang-Dayang (art by Dos Garcia); and Simeona Punsalan-Tapang AKA Kumander Guerrero (art by @RoriComics on Twitter)

But the courage of Filipina women in history has been witnessed not only at home and in the battlefield. There were women who stood up for their right to receive formal education and their right to vote.

Top photo: a painting of The Women of Malolos (art by Rafael del Casal); bottom photo: U.S. First Lady Florence Harding w/ Filipina suffragette delegation, 1922 (From US-Philippines Society)

There were women who saved people's lives by caring for the injured and the sick and feeding the hungry.

Clockwise from left: Melchora Aquino AKA Tandang Sora (from Wikipedia); Josefa Llanes-Escoda (from Bayaning Filipino on Blogger); Maria Orosa (from Orosa Family); and Dr. Fe del Mundo (from National Academy of Science and Technology)

There were women who continue to fight for justice and for their right to be heard, not just as victims but survivors of a violent, tragic past.

Top photo: the Malaya Lolas of Candaba, Pampanga; bottom photo: the lolas of Lila Pilipina. Both are groups of “comfort women,” survivors of military sexual violence during the Japanese Occupation. (From Facebook)

There were women who prove themselves worthy to be recognized by the world for their talents, abilities, and dedication in their respective fields.

Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino Olympic gold medalist; and Maria Ressa, the first Filipino Nobel Laureate (From Esquire Philippines)

There were women leaders who empowered their countrymen towards a better quality of life.

Campaign images of Senator Risa Hontiveros and former Senator Leila de Lima for the 2022 National Elections (From Facebook)

Atty. Leni Robredo, former Vice President of the Philippines (From Esquire Philippines)

And before I forget, I was raised and surrounded by strong women who all the while face their own share of battles in life.

We as women are fighters, and we should never let anyone tell us otherwise.

Meanwhile, I believe I have arrived at a full circle. I may haven't reached my dream of becoming a Power Ranger but who would have thought that as an adult, I would portray a woman fighter myself?

Happy Women's Month!

[josefavomjaaga]

Hello, dear Josefa ✨

I hope you are doing well!

While Flower and myself were talking about our favourite couples of the napoleonic era, our conversation found its way to the Soults which we would love to group with couples like the Davouts or the Mortiers but can't because of the cheating on our monsieur le maréchal Soult's part.

With that in mind, we wondered: Do we know how madame Soult reacted to the cheating? How did her behaviour change through the first days, weeks, months after finding out? Did it even change?

We are aware that we don't know any details of the actual conversation where the couple discussed this matter but we still wanted to ask!

Thank you for your time and effort! c:

We do not really know, I fear. We do not even know when and how exactly she learned about Soult's little secondary Spanish family. It is quite possible that it did not come completely unexpected anymore, as people in Paris had been gossipping about Soult's alleged infidelities ever since 1810, and in one of his 1811 letters Soult kind of had admitted to a marital misstep.

If I remember correctly, Soult finally was granted permission to leave Spain by mid-February 1813, and could leave at the beginning of March. On his way through Southern France he took the occasion to go see his old mother in Saint-Amans, whom he originally had wanted to visit four years earlier, on his way into Spain. I do not remember (I'm not even sure if it is clear) if Louise and the kids already met with him in Saint-Amans or if they waited for him in Paris but I suspect they went to Saint-Amans and from there back to the capital that Soult reached at the beginning of April. He soon had to leave again, this time with Napoleon to Germany, on the 1813 campaign, and on 12 April he already gave full powers in all matters to his wife so she could handle affairs during his absence.

Did she at this point already know about the full extent of these affairs? It's likely, but we do not have any real clue.

She must have known by late June 1813, however (interestingly, that's the same time when, many miles away, Maria de la Paz Baylèn and her little baby son leave Spain and enter France). We know that because Soult in his letter fom 23 June at least vaguely hints at how hurt Louise must have been by his confessions. He invites her to come to meet with him at Dresden with their children, despite the fact that [...]

you will not be lodged very well, but you will be with me, your sorrows will cease, your cheerfulness will return, and you will be certain that, despite everything that has happened, you have never ceased to be tenderly loved [...]

"Despite everything that has happened" clearly means that by that point, Louise is fully aware of the existence of Maria de la Paz and her baby. And she had taken it badly, as was to be expected. Obviously, she doubted Soult's love for her, and she may have considered taking further steps, or at least that's something Soult feared:

I'm not talking about the other feelings, for nothing could add to their strength other than the step you're taking right now.

(All emphasis by me)

And then he continues to implore her to come and sit down with him and talk it all over.

So, obviously lots of trouble in honeymoon land. From the looks of it, I'd say Louise did not so much react with fury, but rather turned sad and depressed - which probably hit Soult far more. Her fury she apparently kept in stock for one French emperor to be used when she heard that her husband was about to be sent back to Spain again. But that's a different story 😁.

Thank you for the question, and I hope this kind of suffices, as it seems to be all information there is. (All quotes from N. Gotteri, "Le Maréchal Soult", as usual.)

[odkryjdolnyslask]

To spojrzenie z zupełnie nowej perspektywy na najbardziej zagadkowe, niedoceniane, a nawet pogardzane zjawisko w historii sztuki. Po raz pierwszy w polskim muzealnictwie będzie można zobaczyć tak obszerną prezentację zabytkowych sprzętów z okresu historyzmu.

Wystawionych zostanie ponad 200 zabytków (mebli, przedmiotów rzemiosła artystycznego, malarstwa) ze zbiorów własnych Muzeum Narodowego we Wrocławiu oraz wypożyczonych z innych instytucji i od osób prywatnych. Towarzyszący ekspozycji katalog jest efektem kilkudziesięciu lat badań wybitnej specjalistki od zabytkowego meblarstwa Małgorzaty Korżel-Kraśnej.

Głównym celem wystawy jest pokazanie historyzmu z zupełnie nowej perspektywy i udowodnienie, że nie można traktować go tylko i wyłącznie jako naśladownictwa minionych stylistyk. – Od połowy XIX wieku dzięki szybkiemu rozwojowi gospodarczemu pojawiały się nowoczesne maszyny, materiały, nieznane wcześniej technologie i masowa produkcja. Stawiało to zupełnie nowe wymagania przed twórcami i artystami – mówi Małgorzata Kraśna, kuratorka wystawy.

– W obliczu tych zmian przyjęli oni postawę aktywnego poznania nieznanych wcześniej możliwości i wykorzystali je do kopiowania i naśladownictwa dzieł dawnych mistrzów, które uznawano za wzorcowe, a które reprezentowały style historyczne: romanizm, gotyk, renesans, barok, rokoko i klasycyzm. Ta postawa nie wynikała z braku pomysłu na nowe formy artystyczne, ale z konieczności oswojenia się z nowymi wyzwaniami diametralnie zmieniającego się świata – dodaje kuratorka.

Ważną przyczyną zorganizowania ekspozycji o historyzmie jest podobnie przełomowy moment cywilizacyjny, w którym znalazł się obecnie świat. – Przed nami pytanie o naszą kondycję, o otwartość na wykorzystanie nowych narzędzi technologicznych jak sztuczna inteligencja czy drukarki 3D – mówi Małgorzata Korżel-Kraśna. Przyszłe pokolenia ocenią, jaką kreatywną postawę przyjęliśmy wobec naszych wyzwań. Czy sztuczna inteligencja przejmie od człowieka twórcze zmagania? Czy tylko je wesprze?

Kolekcja mebli z 2. połowy XIX wieku i początku XX wieku w zbiorach Muzeum Narodowego we Wrocławiu liczy blisko 350 zabytków i ilustruje rozwój stolarstwa w czasach historyzmu, secesji i art déco, głównie w Europie Środkowej. Zespół ten w większości pozyskano w latach 40. i 50. XX wieku dzięki przekazom od różnych instytucji i ze składnic muzealnych działających po II wojnie światowej na terenie Dolnego Śląska.

Największą jednak część, bo stanowiącą blisko jedną trzecią tej kolekcji, muzeum nabyło w latach 1997–2022 w ramach prowadzonej celowo strategii ukierunkowanej na zwiększenie zbiorów ilustrujących neostyle w epoce historyzmu. Przyjęcie od lat 90. ubiegłego wieku powyższej polityki zakupowej było podyktowane koniecznością zwiększenia zasobów muzealnych o artefakty z czasów produkcji fabrycznej, która była wcześniej niedoceniana i pomijana.

W zbiorze mebli z czasów historyzmu największą grupę tworzą sprzęty neorenesansowe, następną neobarokowe. Mniej jest wyrobów neorokokowych, neoklasycystycznych i eklektycznych, a cechy neogotyku występują tylko w kilku sprzętach. Do tej grupy zaliczyć można m.in. szafę ze sceną „Ostatniej Wieczerzy” z fabryki Heinricha Sauermanna z Flensburga z ok. 1900 r., komodę neorokokową z wytwórni Philippa Richtera z Drezna, znakomicie wykonany stół neobarokowy z Brunszwiku i neorenesansowe fotele z wiedeńskiej fabryki specjalizującej się w tej stylistyce Friedricha Ottona Schmidta. Na uwagę zasługują także neobarokowe meble utrzymane w stylistyce gdańskiego ośrodka stolarskiego.

Wśród najciekawszych przykładów mebli XX-wiecznych pokazywanych na wystawie znalazły się krzesła o zaskakujących kształtach z 1903 r. autorstwa malarza Józefa Deskura (1861–1915), kanapa z kabaretu Fledermaus austriackiego projektanta Josefa Hoffmanna (1870–1956). Ponadto warto wymienić charakterystyczne dla tych czasów wyroby fabryczne: stół najsłynniejszej fabryki mebli Thoneta oraz krzesła z polskiej fabryki „Mazowia”.

Śląskie meblarstwo reprezentują sprzęty wykonane przez założoną w 1902 roku Szkołę Snycerstwa w Cieplicach, np. zestaw do sypialni. Wystawa przypomina również rolę muzeów rzemiosła artystycznego, które właśnie w czasie historyzmu zaczęły powstawać, by wspierać rękodzielników i przemysł poprzez prezentację wyrobów, wymianę doświadczeń i projektów. Miały też sprzyjać nowemu wzornictwu i podnoszeniu jakości produktów dzięki porównaniu prac różnych wytwórni.

– 27 listopada 2024 r. obchodzimy 125-lecie otwarcia we Wrocławiu Śląskiego Muzeum Rzemiosła Artystycznego i Starożytności (Schlesisches Museum für Kunstgewerbe und Altertümer). Ta rocznica, chociaż niewpisująca się bezpośrednio w historię Muzeum Narodowego we Wrocławiu, jest jednak ważnym wydarzeniem – mówi dr hab. Piotr Oszczanowski, dyrektor Muzeum Narodowego we Wrocławiu. – Wszak część dzisiejszej kolekcji rzemiosła artystycznego pochodzi właśnie z tej przedwojennej instytucji, która była jednym z najważniejszych i najzasobniejszych muzeów w Europie Środkowej.

Towarzyszący ekspozycji katalog „Meble drugiej połowy XIX i początku XX wieku” stanowi spektakularne zwieńczenie naukowego opracowywania i prezentacji kolekcji mebli wrocławskiego Muzeum Narodowego. To jeden z najlepiej przebadanych fragmentów zbiorów tej instytucji.

Materiał powstał we współpracy z Muzeum Narodowym we Wrocławiu.

[artejoke]

Go ahead, cake my day

Josefa de Óbidos (Josefa de Ayala Figueira), Still Life with Cakes, between 1660 and 1670, National Museum Frei Manuel do Cenáculo

[pacaproyectosartisticos]

LOVERDE.COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECT. Palacio de San Andrés de Cornellana, Gijón. 2024 on going from vlopez_PACA artprojects on Vimeo.

Lo verde. Un jardín amateur para El Palacio, es un proyecto de naturaleza comunitaria de la artista Virginia López que se ha encaminado hacia una acción concreta: generar una comunidad jardinera responsable del diseño, plantación y cuidados de mantenimiento de un jardín para/en el palacio barroco de san Andrés (palacio destinado desde el 2024 a usos culturales y gestionado por la Fundación Municipal de Cultura del Ayuntamiento de Gijón). De cara a la intervención y creación de este jardín comunitario LOVERDE, Virginia ha generado durante 6 meses (entre enero y junio 2024) un proceso de creación y de aprendizaje conjunto a través de encuentros, charlas y talleres abiertos (lo verde abstracto, lo verde histórico, lo verde tierra, lo verde pictórico, lo verde cultivado y las meditaciones de Palomar…) en los que se entrecruzan algunos de los múltiples conocimientos que se dan cita en un jardín, conviviendo cultura, arte y naturaleza.

El jardín se ha inaugurado durante las Puertas Abiertas del Palacio 8 y 9 de junio 2024.

El jardín LoVerde es ya una realidad, en constante evolución.

La Comunidad Jardinera que se ha creado durante los meses inciales del proyecto, está abierta y, como el jardín, en constante evolución. Si quieres ajardinarte y formar parte, contáctanos. tel. +34 636068914 / elpalacio.loverde@gmail.com

Comunidad Jardinera (2024): Alejandro Suárez, Carmen Cantón, Catalina del Riego, Covadonga Hevia, Gloria Pintueles, Graciela María Roces, Irina Martínez, Josefa Morales(Pepa), Jorge Marcos Pérez (Keko), Lucía Valiente, Marisa García, Paz Alonso, Maria Antonia Suárez (Toín), Sergio Santurio, Violeta Murillo, Virginia López, Yolanda Carreño. Se incorporan en el verano 2024: Marina y Estíbaliz.

Colabora en el proyecto: Luis F. Martínez Zahonero de Viveros La Resqueta,un vivero de plantas vivaces en Grao (Asturias). Lo Verde se realiza gracias al apoyo de la Fundación Muncipal de Cultura, Educación y Universidad Popular del Ayuntamiento de Gijón

loverdecommunitygarden.wordpress.com/

[domi-scu]

Lake Sevan

Since our train plan didn't work out, the only plan was to figure things out in the morning. Thankfully none of that was on me as Josefa found a bus from the city centre that was surprisingly easy to find as I arrived first and got out of the taxi right next to the bus with the correct number. And when I say bus, I mean a minivan. I figured I’d ask about the price etc while waiting for him so I checked with the driver if he’s going to Sevan.

He nodded but lead me over to another van that was already moving and said it’s that one. Odd- we still had 15min before it was meant to leave so I asked if it’s the one leaving at 11 to which he explained that no, it’s leaving right now. Ummm, no sir, I’m still waiting for a friend! Apparently that was ok and the van would wait- good thing no one is too bothered about the correct schedule around here I guess?

To other passengers’ relief, Josafa arrived not 10 minutes later and we were on our way. I ended up sitting backwards facing a crowd of people (always fun), and him in the front. Both of us without seat belts- obviously. No one else from his band joined us because as it turns out, Ruben returned really late last night when everyone was already asleep and he got locked out. Eli felt bad so she stayed behind to keep him company whenever he eventually woke up after he spent half his night looking for a hostel.

The ’bus’ was certainly an experience. The poor thing struggled going up the first hill on the motorway- always a good sign when you’re travelling to a town with altitude of 2000m above sea level. The guy had a plan though because he was then using the momentum of going down a hill to get up the next one and lemme tell you... Going down 120km/h in a van where you’re not entirely sure if the breaks work is interesting. The views were great though and unlike in the taxis, I did not get any motion sickness and there was no need for the little plastic bag I packed with me ‘just in case’!

Sevan seemed to be just a tiny town with no much happening so we stopped at a shop to get some snacks and grabbed a taxi to the lake. The driver had a seat belt and I really enjoyed seeing how he made use of it. Firstly, he pulled it across himself and just held it there while we drove past the police. Secondly, lemme just explain that there are places where people can make U turns on motorways around here. A little unnerving when you’re not used to it but they don’t seem to get busy enough to be too concerning. But it was amusing to see the driver pull the seat belt across him again while making the U turn- certainly not because of the police this time because there was none so my only assumption is that it was perhaps for safety?? Not sure how since he didn’t actually put it on properly but A for effort I guess??

Our first steps lead to the monastery on the hill which had a great view of the massive, and I mean MASSIVE lake. I would have loved to see more parts of it because this place felt like the main ‘touristy’ spot so I’m sure other spots are even more beautiful. I was a much bigger fan of the creepier little room in the monastery rather than what seemed to be the ‘main’ one- go figure.. On the way down, I managed to grab some souvenirs for Alex and my parents- who knew finding a damn bell for my mum would be so much work! We topped it off with a freshly squeezed pomegranate juice which was great but so sour and we definitely got ripped off on the price but hey, how often do I get this kind of thing at home?

Josefa really wanted to go for a swim and while I wasn’t that keen (the water was cold), I at least rolled up my trousers and stood in the water sipping on my juice while he did his thing. While taking a little walk after, I realised this place definitely felt like a holiday destination with a few hotels around but it was also giving an odd ‘place by the lake where I used to go with my grandparents as a kid’ vibe. Like very low budget and… well… very post-soviet, no other way to explain it. It was also giving a really weird sort of nostalgia which was unexpected.

We walked all the way to some sort of parking lot (and I think bus stop?) and agreed it was a good time to get a taxi back to Sevan and start figuring out our way back to Yerevan. The first taxi we called refused to take us because it didn’t make him enough money but thankfully, the second one was fine. He dropped us off right next to a bus to Yerevan which was about to leave. Are we really that lucky? I’ll take it! Unlike the one in the morning, this one was pretty much empty and the drive felt much quicker, with the views just as good as they were on the way there.

We parted way after getting off as we both needed to get ready for another round of events tonight. I was gonna go back to the hotel but ended up having lunch in town instead. And man, how did they make the tomatoes taste so good? Seriously… Damn tomatoes on a pasta. I don’t think I’ve eaten a meal I didn’t like around here. To keep it going, I also stopped at a tiramisu place (with 12 kinds of tiramisu!) and got the pistachio one.

Tonight’s panel was just a street over from the Cascade which I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing yet so I stopped by it on the way there. And well, since I’m already here, I might as well take the stairs all the way up, right? It didn’t look all that bad. I started regretting my life choices around halfway up but I was already committed and despite the heat, I made it up. My legs certainly suffered a lot more on the way down- google says there is around 500 steps and this combined with the walk up a hill to the monastery earlier, it added up to 66 floors according to my watch. My poor poor calves.

I partially recovered during the panel which was not relevant to my current job but interesting nonetheless- I need to go through the materials that Simon shared as some will probably come in handy even to me at some point. It was really interesting to hear Stefan’s point of view. He recently left Russia and has now been organising festivals/ showcases in Croatia. I did appreciate the point he made about considering your morals when asking for funding as an artist (or just anyone working in music). He linked it to the fact that he never took anything from the Russian government because what they have done in Ukraine has been coming for a while and he did not want to be associated with them. Lot of respect, man.

We then headed back to the Cascade for an open air concert of Marine Manasian I did not see the stage in the first instance so I just sat at the bottom of Cascade thinking that someone will eventually show up. Until Angela (from Dailo) joined me a little later on- turns out she also didn’t know where exactly we were going. We tried walking into the building which was kind of… inside? of Cascade and took an escalator up. Excuse me- it would’ve been nice to know there was an escalator when I was walking up the damn thing in 35°C.

About halfway up I realised that Alex (guy working for the event) mentioned it’s gonna be at the bottom so we must be going the wrong way. We walked out and took the stairs down (my poor, poor legs…) just as the music started and it became much easier to find. Marine was brilliant and so much fun! It started raining towards the end of her set (along with some lightning) so one of the fans got on the stage with her to hold an umbrella over her laptop and the weather didn’t deter anyone from staying until the end.

Just as I was walking away, I noticed Ruzanna, Eli, Ruben and Angela in a restaurant around the corner so I joined them and ordered an iced tea. Good thing I did because we were gonna walk to the next venue but by the time I finished my drink, it started raining like crazy. And while the streets flooded so that they resembled a river and the lightning was loud and all over the place, I was loving every damn minute of it. It was still nice and warm enough that we could sit on the terrace (although further away from the edges to avoid an unwanted shower). It did take a good while to get a taxi after that as everyone in the city tried to get one and the traffic went standstill in places due to the flooding. When we finally got one, it sure felt like we were on the boat with how high the water was. The sight of the drains on the street turning into (smelly) fountains was also something to behold.

We watched the last gig of the day and with Ruben and Eli wanting to call it a night, I decided to take a short walk with them before heading back to the hotel. We walked through couple of streets that have lost power and the (kind of) surprising thing was how safe it still felt. To the point that one of the little stalls selling flowers left all their stuff out overnight because I assume people wouldn’t steal it? London could never.