Travels with Jean Hanuman

See entry for Museum at Carnavalet (24 Fevrier) See entry for Pere Lachhaise Cemetery (01 Mars) See entry for Dublin (10 Mars) See Hanuman's Haircut (7 Avril) See notes on Paris (14 April) See Friends in Paris (21 Avril) Send fan mail to Hanuman at bfdoherty@mail.utexas.edu

 

     Here in the city of lights we are surrounded by history on each rue, where the 6 story appartment buildings flank each other into infinity, broken up by ancient churches and towering commemorative monuments, on streets, avenues and boulevards named for kings, generals, artists, writers and manufacturers.
But in many ways, it is the contemporary life that is interesting. Here is my image of the quintessential French person—walking rapidly, wearing a black coat (tout le monde porte le manteau noir ici) and yes, with a baguette under one arm. To complete the picture, the leading edge of the baguette must be broken off (to test the bread’s quality? To stave off the first hunger, since the dinner hour is at 9? Maybe just for luck? (When I want to appear very French, I break off my end, and if I’m not hungry, just put the other edge in my (black) coat pocket)).
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     It was after a lecture on heritage and history that I attended with Jean Hanuman (JH is always hanging around the Sorbonne, attending lectures, speaking of "Being," and sipping espresso) by Mia Carter where she spoke of a kind of new historicism (not the new historicism) practiced by writers like Patrick Wright and Raphael Samuels that JH begged me to take him back to the Museum of Paris at Carnevalet in the Marais. He made a beeline to this picture, which depicts a rather rowdy procession of "The League" to the Place de Grève, around 1590-93, in protest of the Huguenot King Henri of Navarre being crowned.
“That idea of religious war and all, it’s all very important, but look what is interesting about this picture,” began Jean Hanuman, as a crowd started to gather to hear what this impressive figure has to say (he speaks back and forth, from French to English, and somehow one understands all that he says, despite one’s imperfect command of one or the other language).
     “Look, on the side, where these women are carrying water, these men making bread, and these two involved in a petty dispute. While this procession of armed men, fanatics, soldiers and the like is on a history-making mission in the square, these Parisians are simply going about their business. I submit,” JH continues, “that it is upon this scene that history should focus its attention.”

Hanuman at work noting how daily life goes on in this detail of the painting.

Here the crowd demonstrates against the new king. The man on the left is indiscriminately shooting his musket towards the unaware commoners on the left.