A French Alphabet Book of 1814: For Alfred Bourdier De Beauregard, Created by his uncle Arnaud at the Chateau DeBeaumoont De Beauregard [Hardcover]

Charles Plante (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 23, 2007

This charming primer on the alphabet captures the essence of everyday life among the French aristocracy in 1814 in a uniquely detailed series of watercolor drawings made as an alphabet book for a young French aristocrat by his uncle. The drawings give fascinating views of the family chateau and its grounds, its elegantly appointed interiors, the private chapel, as well as the kitchen, workshops, and stables. The boy's clothing and pastimes are all minutely illustrated as are his instruction in polite manners, music, and the arts. The pages are full of amusing puns and now obscured meanings-the French captions translated into the English of the period-preserving a life of enchantment and privilege which has long since vanished.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A handful of little books rounds out the list. The most curious, "A French Alphabet Book of 1814," is a set of wonderful watercolors executed by Arnaud Bourdier de Beauregard, a French noble, for his young nephew. There's a Magritte-ish quality to the carefully illustrated and labeled objects, most of them simple, everyday articles like scissors or playing cards. Bourdier had a playful sense of opposition. The same page might include a toad, an obelisk and a watch, for example. This is an alphabet book with metaphysical wit. -- New York Times Nov/Dec 2007

"...a charming collection of watercolor illustrations of French country life, along with lovely examples of hand lettering. It would make a wonderful gift for type lovers and Francophiles alike." -- HOW MAGAZINE - 10/4/2007

About the Author

Charles Plante is the director of Charles Plante Fine Arts, one of the leading British antique galleries specializing in watercolors, drawings and the decorative arts of the neoclassical period (1760-1840). His previous books include Inside Out: Historic Watercolor Drawings, Oil Sketches and Paintings of Interiors and Exteriors 1770—1870 and Designs for Gilt Bronze Objects for the French Restoration 1814—1830.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 114 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (October 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847830101
• ISBN-13: 978-0847830107
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Language Learning > French
  • #74 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Books

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The title is a mouthful ..., March 5, 2008

By 

Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A French Alphabet Book of 1814: For Alfred Bourdier De Beauregard, Created by his uncle Arnaud at the Chateau DeBeaumoont De Beauregard (Hardcover)

but the drawings are a delight.

Uncle Arnaud created this charming volume of water colors in 1814 as an alphabet primer for his two-year-old nephew Alfred. Napoleon was on Elba, and the formerly exiled King Louis XVIII was in power. The views include the family chateau and its surrounding landscape and the elegantly furnished interior: kitchens, chapel, workshops, wine cellar, and stables. The book includes detailed drawings of other types of buildings - palaces, churches, cottages and barns.

The book also focuses on nephew Alfred. His clothing and pastimes are illustrated. There are images of his instruction in polite manners, music, and the arts. Altogether Uncle Arnaud drew nearly 300 watercolors.

The pages are filled with puns and French captions. Many of these have been translated into the English, and the book contains an excellent French to English dictionary of words and terms of the period.

Charles Plante, a London art and antique dealer, acquired the book from a Parisian dealer who "bought it directly from one of the family members of the chateau." Plante writes: "I think it did more than train the young nephew about life in the chateau. It's telling him about the larger picture and perhaps things to come in his life, and that's one of the reasons why it survived. It was very much a treasured object within the family."

Plante's researches lead him to believe their limited militaristic flavor speaks to the alienation of the French aristocracy from the Revolution.

Wordplay and visual humor abound. A theater is placed next to a metal bathtub, or "baignoire", a word that also meant "theater pit." A chamber pot looms under a bed. An infant, an aged man, a skeleton with a scythe, an hourglass and other objects seem to warn of the fleeting nature of time. A whip and a razor in a grouping of toys convey an ominous note.

Plante writes that juxtaposition of many of the objects doesn't make sense to him or to other historians. "The picture may become clearer as more research is done. Or in fact it may be rather simplistic and they're all things that the nephew would have come in contact with in the chateau or come to learn about in life. The more I look at it the more I learn from it. I think that's what has given a lot of people pleasure. And its naive charm adds a whole other dimension to one's interpretation of what is art."

I found this a fascinating insight into the life of the aristocracy after the French Revolution.

Robert C. Ross 2008

4.0 out of 5 stars A French Alphabet Book of 1814..., April 9, 2011

By 

Wendy Haffey (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A French Alphabet Book of 1814: For Alfred Bourdier De Beauregard, Created by his uncle Arnaud at the Chateau DeBeaumoont De Beauregard (Hardcover)

This book is really pretty & a fun picture book for kids to look at while learning their French words, but if you're looking for a lovely french script/font to copy then this is not your book. I thought it would have handwriting exercises but it doesn't :( I'd be really mad if I didn't have toddlers to give this to.

4 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great images, November 24, 2007

By 

Morton A. Hirschberg "Expert" (Bel Air, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A French Alphabet Book of 1814: For Alfred Bourdier De Beauregard, Created by his uncle Arnaud at the Chateau DeBeaumoont De Beauregard (Hardcover)

Really a wonderful book with great graphics. Got the title from the Movable Book Society. If you like pop-ups JOIN.