Greg S. Brown, de l’université d’Oxford, présentera sa communication « Le jardin anglais comme espace anti-urbain dans quelques maisons privées de Paris de la 2eme moitié du XVIIIe siècle », le jeudi 3 mai 2018 de 17h30 à 19h30. Maison de la Recherche, 28 rue Serpente, 75006, salle D421.

Résumé :

“The Treaty of Paris of 1763 reshaped many aspects of the relationship between between France and Britain and their respective societies. The major consequence for France, the surrender of most of France’s North American landholdings and major colonies of New France and Louisiana, but retaining the Carribean islands, had significant consequences at home as well — including, paradoxically, an influx of private capital investment from colonial traders and retired military officers. It also occasioned a cultural reassessment by the French of English taste and manners, which suddenly seemed less barbarous and more authentic, even elegant.

At the same time, and as a direct result of the financial and political debacle of the war’s outcome, the French crown pursued administrative state which had been pursued actively under Louis XV, were intensified by the political rise of Turgot. This included changes in law and governance of France’s large cities, including Paris, which included tax and land-use policies to encourage the expansion of the city and the opening of its thoroughfares and sightlines.

The consequence was a building boom, especially in residential housing. While mostly concentrated to the north and west of the city, there were also new, genteel homes developed along the outer edge of newly constructed boulevards.

This paper will be a discussion of some of the cultural consequences of this building boom, changes in the theory and practice of architectural design, gardens, and material culture — as the boundaries of public and private space were renegotiated on the eve of the Revolution.”

Contact : Stéphane Jettot, stephane.jettot@sorbonne-universite.fr