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In the early years of its exploration, the image of Louisiana was marred
by the disappointment at only having found the Gulf of Mexico, instead of
the expected passage to China. Nevertheless, Iberville's
expeditions-and the hopes raised by Crozat's
Company after the difficulties of the war-should have attracted a number
of new pioneers to the colony. However, a rather lifeless emigration policy
did not allow this.
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Dupin (d’après Watteau),
The departure of the comfort women for the American Isles
BNF, Estampes, Db 15 in f° |
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It was only in 1718, after the propaganda efforts of John Law's Company, that Louisiana became fashionable.
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Propaganda poster for Louisiana,
ca. 1720
BNF, Estampes, Vd mat. 2/1a |
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The colony had its boosters, who talked about the eight
hundred beautiful houses of New Orleans and the good life to be had there.
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Le Nouveau Mercure, article
from January 1720
BNF, Imprimés |
It also had its detractors, who echoed the horrible truth:
between one half and two thirds of new arrivals either died at sea, or
succumbed in their first few months from scurvy, fevers or dysentery.
After Law's bankruptcy, the parody Agnès de Chaillot sent up Louisiana
as a penal colony.
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Exile in Louisiana, the ultimate punishment after Law's bakruptcy
Dominique et Legrand, Agnès de Chaillot (a parody
of Inès de Castro by Houdar de La Motte, 1723),
p. 32
BNF, Imprimés
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In 1725, a small group of Indians were all the rage at
Court, but four years later, the Natchez Indian war dismantled the myth
of the "good savage". At the same time, the adoption in 1724
of the Code Noir for Louisiana met with little opposition from
philosophers and the Church, who were content to mutter a few disapproving
phrases.
From an artistic standpoint, the exoticism of Louisiana was very little
represented. A ballet by Lully in 1685, Le Temple de la Paix, celebrated
the civilizing action of France on the "savages".
![Dolivar (after Berain), design for the ballet The Temple of Peace in 1685
Bibliothèque de l'Opéra, Liv. 18 [R.12(3)]](../../img/syst/bnf_028.jpg) |
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Dolivar (after Berain), design
for the ballet The Temple of Peace in 1685
Bibliothèque de l'Opéra, Liv. 18 [R.12(3)] |
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Bérain, indian costume from the
ballet The Triumph of Love
BNF, Estampes |
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The lion's share of painters, sculptors and decorators
under Louis XIV were inspired by America, but the paintings and decorative
arts produced were most often just sycophantic allegories (for example,
a number of "Negro-style" clocks were created).
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Grébert,
"Negro-style" clock, allegory for America (huntress and
crocodile),
(Paris, vers 1800)
Musée du nouveau Monde,
La Rochelle |
The magnificent tapestries of the Nouvelles Indes
(1735) by François Desportes were mostly inspired by the adventures
of the Company of the Indies.
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Desportes, Negress transported
in a hammock (6e pièce de la Tenture des Nouvelles
Indes, 1735)
Mobilier national, INV GMTT 185/4 |
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The same year, the last act of an opera by Rameau, The
Gallant Indies, was set among the American "savages". The
ending was virtuous, it must be pointed out-the beautiful Zima selects
Adario, an Indian, as her husband, despite the advances of two handsome
soldiers, one French and one Spanish. As for literature, the Abbé
Prévost published Manon Lescaut in 1731. This scathing novel
about the forced emigration of prostitutes to Louisiana is the most remarkable
literary work dealing with Louisiana prior to Atala, published
in 1801 by Chateaubriand.
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[1] Pasquier, The death
of Manon in Louisiana
Abbé Prévost, Manon Lescaut, Amsterdam, 1753,
p. 241 BNF, réserve Imprimés |
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Garnier, "I've been looking for you for
a long time"
Chateaubriand, Atala, Paris, 1805, p. 105
BNF, réserve Imprimés |
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