I mentioned in my politics blog that I am reading a comedy book by Al Murray. I am also reading Stephen Clarke's 1000 years of annoying the French and I have just read the section on the siege of Calais. The burghers are supposed to be French heroes who gave their lives for the inhabitants of Calais. As it turns out these same leaders had previously decided to sacrifice 500 of their less well-off citizens.Rodin produced the sculpture over 500 years after the event but he knew the burghers weren't the heroes they were made out to be. These poses are not heroic. I didn't realise that there are twelve casts of this sculpture dotted around the world. I knew there was one in Calais and I saw this one recently near the Houses of Parliament. Stephen's conclusion is that 'any British parliamentarian who goes out for a breath of fresh air in the park will come face to face with an image of abject French submission'.
Happy snapping
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