Marie Antoinette Information

Archive for January, 2009

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Louis Xvi Britannica

The Arabs say, “There is salt between us,” and the Persians speak of a person “untrue to salt” (disloyal or ungrateful). Because of its preservative qualities, the word `salt` came to have connotations of high esteem and honor both in ancient languages and in modern ones.

Some Historical Facts

Throughout history, salt has been such a precious commodity that wars were even fought over it. One of the contributing causes of the French Revolution was the high tax on salt imposed by Louis XVI. Salt was also used as a valuable medium of exchange. Moorish merchants traded salt for gold, gram for gram, and some central African tribes used slabs of rock salt as money. The English word `salary` comes from the Latin salarium (from sal, salt), referring to the early Roman soldier’s wages, part of which was an allowance of salt. The Greeks paid for slaves with salt, giving rise to the expression “not worth his salt.”

During the Middle Ages, certain superstitions developed around salt. The spilling of salt was considered to be a portent of doom. For example, in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the `Last Supper,` Judas Iscariot is depicted with an overturned saltcellar in front of him. Up until the 18th century, sitting above or below the position of the salt at a banquet table indicated one’s social rank, the honored position being above the saltcellar, near the head of the table.

From early times man learned to extract salt from natural brines, seawater, and rock salt. An ancient Chinese treatise on pharmacology deals with more than 40 kinds of salt and describes two methods of extracting salt that are amazingly similar to those used today. For instance, solar energy is used to extract salt from seawater at the solar saltworks located on the shores of the Bahía Sebastián Vizcaíno in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica it has been estimated that if all the oceans in the world were completely dried up, `they would yield at least 4.5 million cubic miles [19 million cubic km] of rock salt, or about 14.5 times the bulk of the entire continent of Europe above the high-water mark.` And the Dead Sea is about nine times as salty as the ocean!

Use of Salt Today

Today salt continues to be a precious commodity, used for seasoning food, preserving meat, and manufacturing soap and glass, among other things. Sales of dry salt jumped 37.2% in 2007 to 31.7 million tons, according to the annual Salt Institute Statistical Report of US Salt Sales released in February, 2008. Over 200M tons of salt is produced worldwide every year. North America produces more than one-quarter of it.

But a particularly interesting use is in the public health field. For example, in many countries of the world, salt is fortified with iodine to combat endemic iodine deficiency, characterized by goiter (an enlargement of the thyroid gland) and in severe cases by mental retardation. Also, some countries add fluoride to salt to prevent dental caries, though this practice has proved somewhat controversial, with some even suggesting it is detrimental to health.

In the chemical industry, salt is used in the manufacture of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), hydrochloric acid, chlorine, and many other chemicals. Salt is also employed in soap, glaze, and porcelain enamel manufacture and enters into metallurgical processes as a flux.

When applied to snow or ice, salt lowers the melting point of the mixture. Thus, large amounts are used in northern climates to help clear streets of accumulated snow and ice. Salt is used in water-softening equipment that removes calcium and magnesium compounds from water.

While salt is essential for good health-regulating blood volume and pressure-what about the association between salt intake and high blood pressure? Doctors have routinely restricted salt and sodium intake in hypertensive patients. About one third to one half of people with high blood pressure are salt sensitive. In this case a lower salt intake has been shown to lower blood pressure. The recommended daily limit for the normal person is 6g of salt.

Geoff Cummings runs a discount kitchen products site at http://www.kitchenandhousewares.us where a wide range of items for the home are on sale.

Louis Xvi Tries To Escape

Question: help with my grammars..?

cause i have an essay.. and i always mess up with my grammars that makes my grade low..
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French come together and planned to have war with the obvious targets, the king and nobles. The citizen Army was formed that acted as a school, that showed people they could work together and thought equality which is a success. King Louis XVI tried to escape with his family but they have no luck and havent able to. King Louis XVI plan of escaping his responsibilities as a king is a betrayal for his country that only made his people hate him more. A King who doesnt do anything and a King who betrayed his own country is useless for the people of France so they decided to get rid of the King. King Louis XVI was sent to the National Razor which ended his part being a King.

Answer: The French came together and planned to make war against the obvious targets, the king and the nobles. The Citizens' Army was formed, which acted as a school to show people that they could work together and (successfully?) achieve equality. King Louis XVI tried to escape with his family but failed. His plan to escape his responsibilities as king was a betrayal of his country that only made his people hate him more. A king who did nothing, and a king who betrayed his own country was useless for the people of France, so they decided to get rid of him. King Louis XVI was sent to the "national razor", and so ended his reign.

Whose Line - Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI

marie antoinette movie clips

Question: Marie Antoinette Mask?

So im looking for the mask that Kirsten Dunst wears in the Masquerade Ball clip in the movie Marie Antoinette. Ive searched on costume websites and having had any luck. Id appreciate it if i could get some help to find it, or figure out how to make it. Thank you!!

Answer: *Here's a site with a picture if that will help.

http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Drama/Marie_Antoinette&image=marieantoinette18.jpg&img=9&tt=

Any Way You Want It- Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette Louis Charles

Rococo – History

Rococo (or Roccoco) Western Art style refers to a French Fine Art Movement, observed at peak during the eighteenth century, 1730s to be precise, during the reign of King Louis XV. The term ‘Rococo’ was derived from the French word ‘rocaille’ (pebble) and Italian term ‘Barocco (Baroque).’ Right from the ornamental objects of interior decoration such as furniture, to architecture, paintings, and sculpture, this novel French style touched all. Considered as a high fashion style, Rococo had some popular forms. In fact, Rococo can be labeled as the climax and the fall of Baroque Art.

The Details

In this Western Art style, grotesques were converted into lines, curves, and bands, all the while flirting safely with imaginary, fantasy, and game playing. Rococo was the dominant choice of the then modern and aristocrat society, which focused more on the unreflective and indulgent living style, rather than morality, piety, discipline, and heroism. Graceful & lighthearted romance, mythology, routine life, history, and religion were the key themes. Fanciful figures, a smart use of line, delicate curves, and pastel colors were the other evident key characteristics of this Western Art style. Focused on subjects, the art works were light in color, effects, and emotion. Rococo’s special attention to fine details in the purview of feminine taste made it a preferred choice for interior decoration. This style was also used in furniture, tapestry design, and portraiture.

Artists

Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) is considered as the first Rococo painter. He greatly influenced the later painters like Francois Boucher (1703-70), Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806), and Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Le Brun (1755-1842 – especially in her portraits of Marie Antoinette). Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) added uniqueness to the style through delicate and sensitive intricacies. Other Rococo artists include Jean-Baptiste van Loo (1684-1745), his two sons Louis-Michel van Loo (1707-71) & Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (1719-95), & his younger brother Charles-André van Loo (1705-65); Nicolas Lancret (1690-1743); Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin (1699-1779); and Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805).

The Spread

Not only France, Rococo gained popularity in Germany, Bohemia, and Austria too. The German version of this French art style was introduced in churches and palaces in the southern part of the country, while Frederician Rococo was admired in the Kingdom of Prussia. In Italy, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) was the frontrunner of this art movement. In England, Rococo was never adopted as an architectural style however; it significantly influenced Fine Arts zones, such as porcelain, silverwork, silk, and even some English furniture.

The End

Starting 1760s Rococo started to decline, as the critics condemned it as frivolous, tasteless, colorless art, and the sign of a corrupt society. Neo-Classicism eventually replaced this rich Western Art style, in 1785. 1820-70 witnessed the revival and another fall of Rococo.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Is is also a venue for artists to display and sell their art . Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com
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Marie Antoinette et sa famille

French Revolution Values

Question: Third Estate and the French Revolution…?

Were there flaws in the third estate that led to excess? What were the core values of the Third Estate?

Answer: The Third Estate was the third chamber (representing the middle classes) in the French Parliament (Estates-General) until the French Revolution of 1789. The EG was called in 1789 to vote to address the economic crisis. It had 3 chambers/estates, and 2 of them had to agree to pass legislation. The other 2 estates where the nobility and the clergy. However the EG eventually took the "Tennis Court Oath", declaring they were no longer the Third Estate but rather the National Assembly/Parliament of France. The other two estates members eventually joined the new National Assembly too. The king send troops into Paris and intended dissolving the chamber, but soldiers mutinied and the king was forced to back down.

Conservative Host Says Equality is Not an American Value