#prieur de la cote-d'or

[aedesluminis]

Carnot, Lindet, Prieur de la Côte-d'Or in a fragment of "Panorama de l'Histoire du siècle 1788-1889" by Alfred Stevens and Henri Gervex, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris.

Sources: 1, 2

References for the characters' names from Stevens, Gervex, Reinach "L'Histoire du Siècle", p. 36-37 (note: Prieur is wrongly listed as "de la Marne")

[plrle]

Can you draw Carnot X Prieur? ;A;

yep yep!! ^^

i've made my conclusions - i should draw them more often >.<

[senechalum]

Sketches :)

The one of Prieur and Carnot as gift for the wonderful @aedesluminis ✨ The second one being Général Rapp, because no one seems to draw him very often .. ?

[amateurvoltaire]

Second in the Mapping the CPS series: a map of Ancien Regime France with the places of birth of our notorious third CPS. On the side, you can see a timeline with the date of birth of each of the members.

Some fun facts:

The average age of the Committee of Public Safety in July 1793 was 37, with Lindet being the oldest at 47 and Saint-Just the youngest at 25.

Couthon and Prieur (Cote d'Or) share a birthday on the 22 of December.

Three of the members (Lindet, Robespierre and Carnot) were born in May (so the CPS has 3 birthdays coming up!)

The only deputy of Paris that was actually born in Paris was Collot.

I'm surprised Billaud-Varenne wasn't sent on mission to the West (instead of Prieur de Marne and Saint-André) since he was born in La Rochelle, had family there and lived there until he was 26.

Saint-André shares a birthplace with Olympe de Gouges (a rather small town called Montauban)

Where all the members were born:

Robert Lindet: Bernay

Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois: Paris

André Jeanbon Saint-André: Montauban

Lazare Carnot: Nolay

Bertrand Barère:Tarbes

Georges Couthon: Orcet

Jacques Billaud-Varenne: La Rochelle

Pierre-Louis Prieur de la Marne: Sommesous 

Maximilien Robespierre: Arras

Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles: Paris

Claude-Antoine Prieur de la Côte-d’Or: Auxonne

Louis Antoine Saint-Just: Decize

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Apart from C-A Prieur, did anyone else in the CSP remain a friend with Lazare Carnot after Thermidor?

I think @aedesluminis and @sieclesetcieux are better suited to answer this than I am, I’m generally pretty unfamiliar with the Office CPS dynamics (I honestly don’t even know which of the members were friends of Carnot beforethermidor). But I’ve at least managed to dig out the following:

In volume 3 of his memoirs, Barère writes that he, following getting relieved of his legislative duties, wrote two or three letters to Carnot expressing some ideas on European politics and the power of the Directory, but that Carnot expressed no interest towards neither the letters or the man Barère had sent to hand them over. ”From this time my correspondence with the Director Carnot ceased; he either could, or would, do nothing for me, he forgot me altogether, and himself disappeared soon afterwards from this disunited, ill-matched, and utterly incapable Directory.”

Barère also writes that he in 1800, after having returned to Paris, had dinner with Fouché and Lamarque, ending with another encounter with Carnot: 

After dinner Lamarque told me that he wished to be reconciled to Carnot. I thought that the circumstances were favourable for the reconciliation of true patriots, as misfortune ought to unite all shades of opinion. I went to Carnot, and introduced to him my friend Lamarque, who had defended me during my proscription from the tribune of the Five Hundred.  "No doubt," replied Carnot ironically, "but he was the president of that council when I was transported as a member of the Directory." I perceived somewhat too late that there are some men whose memory is too good, and we parted rather disconcerted at this misunderstanding.

Later that year, Barère claims Carnot walked in on him and Napoleon having a conversation, and tried to help Barère obtain a position in the new regime: 

The conversation had reached this point when the Minister of War, Carnot, arrived with his portfolio to work with the First Consul. To give Carnot his due, he seemed very pleased to see me in close conversation with Bonaparte. He thought when he saw us tete-a-tete in the audience chamber that I was about to be appointed to some important office. In a few moments he said to the First Consul: "General, can you not usefully employ the talents of Citizen Barère?" The First Consul, who certainly had no desire to do so, and who had only offered me a miserable editorship, was silent, either because he did not choose to be catechised by one of his ministers, or because he had no favourable reply to make. I saw his embarrassment, and I replied to Carnot: "The First Consul would like to make me a bard to celebrate the glorious exploits of his warriors; but the age of Ossian has passed." This reply appeared to displease the First Consul, and I took my leave, considering myself very fortunate to have escaped being requisitioned as a journalist.

Collot d’Herbois mentioned Carnot once in his defence written 1795, attesting that the latter was hardworking. However, it doesn’t exactly tell us anything regarding if the two had stayed in touch or not:

I hastily ate a frugal meal every day in the vicinity of the committee. Carnot was forced to do the same, as was Prieur (de la Cote-d'Or.) They know of my assiduousness; only theirs and that of Lindet could surpass it.

As for Saint-André, I could find nothing when searching for ”Carnot” within the 1848 work Jean-Bon Saint-André, sa vie et ses écrits by Michel Nicolas. The same thing when searching for him Billuad-Varennes — mémoires et correspondance (1893)

That leaves us with Lindet and Prieur de la Marne, both of whom have left so little written material behind that I can’t say anything for the moment… There might be something in Notes et souvenirs inédits de Prieur de la Marne, but I don’t have access to those…

[aedesluminis]

Omg!! Thank you so much for thinking about me and tagging me 🥹 I really appreciated it! Also, I've never seen this picture before and I'm always glad to find new "Lazares" around...

"Deeds, not words!" is a maxim that truly suits him, or at least the modus operandi, with which he wanted to be remembered: someone that acts instead of wasting efforts in empty words... I'm afraid that on some occasions he took it way too literally.😅

The fact about the provisioning is related to the army of the Sambre-et-Meuse? I think yes, because it's something that Carnot gets usually called out for. Anyway, unnecessary trivia about it: Prieur de la Cote-d'Or was the one who went to the front to check the situation and try to fix it. This is something Saint-Just mentions in his 9 Thermidor speech. (The speech is translated by @orpheusmori)

This one’s for @aedesluminis . Special delivery via the Musée de l’Histoire Vivante. You’re welcome! I think he adopted this as one of his slogans. Probably framed it and hung it in his office. Next to his idiot’s guide to provisioning revolutionary armies

[aedesluminis]

An unexpected revelation. In all honesty, not really that unexpected in itself, but I'm baffled by how easily wrong information can be spread. I've always wondered, indeed, how it was possible for him to be granted or have asked for the title of count given the feeling of "despise" between him and Napoléon.

The excerpt above comes from Gaffarel's biography (p. 349), Bouchard's one doesn't even mention such misunderstanding. According to the former, some of the earliest Prieur's biographers, whose work I happened to find here, stated that he was made comte de l'Empire without quoting a source and looking at the list of people receiving titles during the Napoleonic Era written by Campardon, Prieur's name is in fact missing.

[aedesluminis]

Letter from Claude-Antoine Prieur to Louis XVI on the importance of having a unified metric system in France

[The letter is dated April 1790 and included a copy of Prieur's Mémoire sur la nécessité et les moyens de rendre uniformes, dans le royaume, toutes les mesures d'étendue et de pesanteur]

"Sire,

The reputation that your Majesty has gained through his passion for sciences and the protection with which he has constantly provided them inspired in me the desire to offer him a work I have done on the necessity and the means to bring all measures of France to uniformity.

I beg your Majesty to honour me for a moment of his attention, not much for some special merit concerning my work, but above all for the high importance of its content.

It is a great and beautiful idea, the one of giving to a great people a common and invariable measure, and, even better, to make it universal. Today, the difficulties related to the lack of precision in the procedures have been overcome; what is left is just a few prejudices relegated to the classes of ignorant people, of whom the triumphant voice of reason will dismiss the prestige.

France, England, the United States of America have addressed the matter not only in their own countries, but they are in open agreement to achieve an identical result.

Savants are rather convinced of the effectiveness of this operation for the advancement of science; but how much it will reveal itself useful in easing commercial relations, from the simplest exchanges, which people’s daily needs require, to the greatest speculations!

From this double perspective of science and commerce, the States of your Majesty maintain a distinguished position among civilised nations. After all, wisdom, moderation, in a word, all the virtues of your Majesty, suggest on his part an aspiring desire towards the noble glory of being included among the benefactors of humankind. May I be allowed to say that this is a fortunate occasion to add a new benefit to those that your subject already owe you: the reunion of your Majesty with other countries to procure the same measures would be a big improvement  and a favourable wish for the happiness of the people; nothing is more appropriate to strengthen in them the bonds of fraternity and concord like the sweet influence of Philosophy.

Respect has set limits that I am not entitled to go beyond. Nevertheless I thought to let truth arrive to the ears of a prince, who, because of his greatness of spirit, has always proven himself worthy of listening. To touch the heart of your Majesty, it is undoubtedly sufficient to mention a useful purpose: it will be even more touched to know that the probity, of which the operation in question is significantly the custodian, will put an end to the activities and tricks of the scoundrels.

I have persuaded myself that my disinterested homages would not be unpleasant; I am, with the utmost respect, your Majesty’s most humble and obedient servant."

— from G. Bouchard, Prieur de la Cote-d'Or, Pièces Annexées, p. 458 - 459

[aedesluminis]

"Summoned by a king who knows no other greatness than the happiness of his people, the representatives of the nation have broken the fetters forged by despotism: feudalism is destroyed, the great work of our regeneration has begun and advances day by day. After having renounced to those privileges, that destroy public prosperity, the provinces want to forget themselves and to blend into the more regular division of departments and districts. These departments, these districts and the smallest portions of the empire will have a similar organisation. The variety of customs, immense source of abuse, will henceforth be replaced by the most exact uniformity in the laws of administration and justice: with such a beautiful order, shall we let the ancient chaos of our measures persist? Is it not about time to remove so many chances of mistakes, frauds and trials? The present moment is all the more appropriate for a general reform of measures, since the newly adopted principles leave prejudices powerless; and since the people, already disposed towards other more important changes, which have broken their habits, would receive with docility an innovation whose great advantages they could themselves feel."

- Claude-Antoine Prieur-Duvernois, "Mémoire sur la nécessité de rendre uniformes dans le royaume toutes les mesures d'étendue et de pesanteur"

Original in French (modern transcription): "Appelés près d’un Roi qui ne connaît de grandeur que la félicité de ses peuples, les représentants de la nation ont brisé les fers qu’avait forgé le despotisme : la féodalité est détruite ; le grand œuvre de notre régénération est commencé, et s’avance de jour en jour ; les provinces, après avoir renoncé à des privilèges destructeurs de la prospérité publique, vont s’oublier et se confondre dans la division plus régulière des départements et des districts ; ces départements, ces districts, et les plus petites portions de l’empire, auront une organisation semblable ; la variété des coutumes, source immense d’abus, sera désormais remplacée, dans toute la France, par l’uniformité la plus exacte dans les lois d’administration et de justice : avec un ordre si beau, laissera-t-on subsister l’ancien chaos de nos mesures ? N’est-il pas temps enfin d’ôter tant d’occasions d’erreurs, de fraudes et de procès ? Le moment actuel est d’autant plus convenable à une réforme générale des mesures, que les principes nouvellement adoptés laissent les préjugés sans force ; et que les peuples, déjà disposés par d’autres changements plus importants, qui ont rompu leurs habitudes, recevraient avec docilité une innovation dont ils pourraient eux-mêmes sentier les grands avantages."

[aedesluminis]

"De sable à un bâton pastoral d'argent, à la fasce d'azur brochant sur le tout, chargée de deux roses d'or"

It's with these words that Charles D'Hozier describes the family crest of Prieur de la Côte-d'Or, of which is possible to see a picture in the tome Armorial général de France - Généralité de Bourgogne:

Jacques Prieur, the great grandfather of the future member of the National Convention and Committee of Public safety, was employed as a sort of manager and tax collector for the salt warehouse in Chalon-sur-Saône.

Despite belonging to the lowest ranks, Prieur's family was indeed part of the noblesse de robe. However it's important to mention that his father, Noël, was forced in 1767 to sell his "charge de finance" in a vain attempt to repay the debts, his dissolute life was the consequence of. I'm not sure if one could still be considered a noble if they decided to sell the license that actually gave them access to the nobility though a profession in the juridic or financial field.

[aedesluminis]

After having presented the rich and brilliant and fabulous Lavoisier and Condorcet, it's the turn of another stembro:

I... I don't know what to say lmao

Anyway, I couldn't resist not to draw evil clout chaser Prieur, who finally had enough power to rationalize the world!!

He's thinking about what to wear on Lavoisier's execution (⁠ب⁠_⁠ب⁠)

[aedesluminis]

Prieur's baptism certificate

—from Archives départementales de la Côte-d'Or, Série E - État civil, notaires et autres officiers publics et ministériels, Registres paroissiaux et état civil, XVIe siècle-1938 (sous-série 2 E)

English translation:

Claude Antoine Prieur, son of Noël Antoine Prieur, tax collector in the bailiwick of Dôle, residing in Auxonne and of dame Anne Millot, born of legitimate marriage on the 22th of December 1763, was baptised on the same day, having as godfather messire Claude Prieur, master counselor at the chamber of accounts of Dôle, his paternal grandfather, represented by Dominique Gomion, master wigmaker in Auxonne, and as godmother dame Marie Millot, wife of messire François Bolet, treasurer of France in Dijon his maternal [great] aunt, represented by demoiselle Anne Fenoux, residing in said Auxonne, undersigned with us.

French original:

Claude Antoine Prieur, fils de Noël Antoine Prieur, receveur des finances du bailliage de Dôle, demeurant à Auxonne et de dame Anne Millot, né de légitime mariage le 22 décembre 1763, a été baptisé le même jour, ayant pour parrain messire Claude Prieur, conseiller-maître en la chambre des comptes de Dôle, son aïeul paternel, représenté par Dominique Gomion, maître perruquier à Auxonne, et pour marraine dame Marie Millot, épouse de messire François Bolet, trésorier de France à Dijon sa [grand] tante maternelle, représentée par demoiselle Anne Fenoux, demeurante audit Auxonne, soussignés avec nous.

Note: I didn't know how to properly translate "messire", "dame" and "demoiselle" in English since "Mr, Mrs" and "Miss" come from the 19th century and using "lady" and "maiden" didn't sound appropriate to me. If someone knows better options let me know!

[aedesluminis]

Considering that Prieur's aunt invented and took the name Duvernois for unknown reasons - she never married - and considering that Prieur himself stopped using that surname after nobility titles were abolished in '91 and addressed himself all the time with his fancy CSP nickname "Prieur de la Côte-d'Or" in his Révelations, I believe it's not appropriate to call him "Prieur-Duvernois".

Digging a bit I discovered that it's the painter Emil Groux, who for this illustration resurrected that name and it happened years after Prieur's death.

[thegreatfuckup]

I just had to investigate! According to my copy it appears that Gigi Pistilli also played Vergniaud, so maybe that's him with the fancy getup and the costume for playing Prieur was more sober? The Girondins are generally quite extra in the play.

Sadly Prieur has all of 9 lines and not a very distinctive personality save for "guy who gives updates on the army". 😖

Apparently, there's another representation of Prieur, very different from the skinny catty soldier-nerd shown in that documentary on the metric system:

This fancy dude is Luigi Pistilli and, according to the play script that I own, he's starring as Prieur de la Côte-d'Or in the play "The Jacobins" by Federico Zardi, which was staged for the first time on April 14 1957 in Milan.

A peculiar choice that one of making him a seductive dandy, but I can't say I'm disappointed.

[aedesluminis]

I missed drawing Prieur so much, more in general I missed drawing since i haven't done it since May...

The roses are taken from his family crest.

Big thanks to @senechalum for the art tips and above all the moral support I wouldn't have finished it otherwise >.>

[aedesluminis]

I wanted to show y'all my new profile pic, an amazing drawing of Prieur that the talented @senechalum did for me ;A;