The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
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Alexandre Cabanel is in Painters.
On 28th September 1823 Alexandre Cabanel was born.
In 1840 Alexandre Cabanel [aged 16] entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he studied with François-Édouard Picot.
1843. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 19]. "Cincinnatus receiving the ambassadors of Rome".
1844. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 20]. "Christ in the Garden of Olives".
1847. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 23]. "Fallen Angel".
1847. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 23]. Portrait of Emperor Napoléon III [aged 38].
1848. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 24]. "Albaydé".
1852. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 28]. Self-portrait.
In 1855 Alexandre Cabanel [aged 31] and Marie-Clémentine Legrand were married.
1857. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 33]. "Aglaida and Boniface".
Anne Boleyn. Her Life as told by Lancelot de Carle's 1536 Letter.
In 1536, two weeks after the execution of Anne Boleyn, her brother George and four others, Lancelot du Carle, wrote an extraordinary letter that described Anne's life, and her trial and execution, to which he was a witness. This book presents a new translation of that letter, with additional material from other contemporary sources such as Letters, Hall's and Wriothesley's Chronicles, the pamphlets of Wynkyn the Worde, the Memorial of George Constantyne, the Portuguese Letter and the Baga de Secrets, all of which are provided in Appendices.
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In 1863 Alexandre Cabanel [aged 39] was elected a member of the Academy of Fine Arts.
1863. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 39]. "The Birth of Venus". Exhibited at the Salon of 1863, and which was immediately purchased by Napoleon III for his personal collection.
In 1864 Alexandre Cabanel [aged 40] was appointed professor at the École des Beaux-Arts where he taught until his death in 1889.
In 1867 [his wife] Marie-Clémentine Legrand died.
1870. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 46]. "The death of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta".
1871. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 47]. Portrait of Cornelia Warren.
1873. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 49]. "Pandora".
1873. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 49]. Portrait of the Countess de Keller.
1874. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 50]. "Thamar".
1874. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 50]. "Echo".
William of Worcester's Chronicle of England
William of Worcester, born around 1415, and died around 1482 was secretary to John Fastolf, the renowned soldier of the Hundred Years War, during which time he collected documents, letters, and wrote a record of events. Following their return to England in 1440 William was witness to major events. Twice in his chronicle he uses the first person: 1. when writing about the murder of Thomas, 7th Baron Scales, in 1460, he writes '… and I saw him lying naked in the cemetery near the porch of the church of St. Mary Overie in Southwark …' and 2. describing King Edward IV's entry into London in 1461 he writes '… proclaimed that all the people themselves were to recognize and acknowledge Edward as king. I was present and heard this, and immediately went down with them into the city'. William’s Chronicle is rich in detail. It is the source of much information about the Wars of the Roses, including the term 'Diabolical Marriage' to describe the marriage of Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother John’s marriage to Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, he aged twenty, she sixty-five or more, and the story about a paper crown being placed in mockery on the severed head of Richard, 3rd Duke of York.
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1880. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 56]. "Phaedra".
1883. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 59]. "Ruth glanant dans les champs de Booz" aka Ruth harvesting in the fields of Booz.
1883. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 59]. "Ophelia".
1887. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 63]. Portrait of Mary Victoria Leiter Baroness Curzon Kedleston [aged 17].
1887. Alexandre Cabanel [aged 63]. "Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Condemned Prisoners".
On 23rd January 1889 Alexandre Cabanel [aged 65] died in his hotel at 14 rue Alfred de Vigny, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. His funeral was on 26th January 1889 at the Saint-Philippe du Roule church. He was buried at Saint Lazaire Cemetery.