le samedi 13 juillet / Heure:
15h00-16h00 / Salle: Reprisal

S346: The Provençal Santon: An Artifact of Deep France

Intervenante: Kathryn A.Wixon, Muhlenberg College (PA)

The unprepossessing little Provençal santon packs a powerhouse of fascinating history—religious, ethnographic, cultural, and commercial.Santons, from the Provençal word "santouns" or "little saints" are the small, brightly painted, clay figurines, both religious and secular, which people the Christmas crèches in France and many souvenir shops and museums in Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Marseille, and other Provençal cities.Santons have existed since the late 18th century, and their rise in popularity as the emblem of Provence echoes the changes in religious and societal life brought about by the French Revolution. Even the industrial revolution had its effect on the marketing and sale of these modest statuettes. In this way, these little figurines have come to constitute an artifact of deep France, still much cherished today. For teachers of French at all levels, the santon is an engaging way to present France's rural past in context.

Animatrice: B. Jill Moore, Flint Hill School (VA)

Public: général