My Marie Antoinette Obsession
- Apr 24, 2018
- 3 min read
Without a doubt one of my favorite historical figures is Marie Antoinette. While this could be controversial for some people who believe that she was an impetus for the French Revolution, I retain a sympathetic, loving view of the last Queen of France. In my view, she was a great patron of the arts, a prominent fashion icon, and the epitome of poise and beauty. Regardless of whether or not you like her, she had an extremely tragic end as she watched her husband and several of her children die, before she was ultimately beheaded. Putting aside the politics and the intricacies of the Revolution, I want to focus more on why I love her because of her cultural and sartorial contributions that have had an impact that has endured even today. If you’re interested in learning more about one of my favorite icons, I included two books and one movie (for those who don’t have as much time to read) about my favorite French Queen.
Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund – Abundance is a fictionalized biography of the life of Marie Antoinette. The prose is so realistic and detailed that initially I wasn’t sure if the book was fiction or nonfiction. Naslund creates a picture of a young Dauphine who was married to the future king of France, Louis XVI at the age of 15. The book does an exceptional setting the historical scene for her story, by emphasizing the fact that she was a sort of pawn in a scheme to end the hostility between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and France. Despite the fact that her purpose was merely political and she was sent to a foreign country where people inherently did not like her because of her heritage, she managed to make Versailles her home and domain. Even though Naslund presents a sympathetic view of Marie Antoinette and makes readers fall in love with her personality and her strength, she does acknowledge some of her flaws, such as her excess spending and her alleged affair with Count Axel von Fersen. This is not only gives readers insight into who Marie Antoinette was a person, but it also is an extremely easy and entertaining read.
Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber – This extensive nonfiction account of Marie Antoinette’s role in terms of fashion and art is very entertaining if you are interested in French or sartorial history. It is a very detailed account of how her fashion served as a sort of outlet and source of power for Marie Antoinette. With her fashion and support of the arts she was able to majorly impact French culture. To see a more detailed analysis/my opinions of the book, check out my essay that I wrote about Caroline Weber’s outstanding work.
“Marie Antoinette” – Although Weber and Naslund do a great job of describing the abundance of Marie Antoinette’s life, words can’t compare to the absolute eye candy that is Sofia Coppola’s film, “Marie Antoinette.” Coppola is known for her attention to detail in both her sets and costumes, and few people could do better than her in directing a movie that is trying to achieve aesthetic perfection. The costume team did an exceptional job in recreating designs that were similar to that of what Marie Antoinette would have originally worn, and major designers, such as Manolo Blahnik and Rochetti & Rochetti designed the shoes and wigs respectively. This movie really made me appreciate how important it was to actually “see” the decadent life than she lived, rather than just read about it. Her innovative, ornate gowns are so beautiful (at least in the movie) that I wish people still dressed in 18th century French fashions today.
xx
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